Curse of the Dragon's Pearl
by swirlheart
Summary: Naruto's carelessness results in Neji getting cursed. Now he's a dragon! Naruto has to find a way to change him back before anything bad happens. Could the cure be hidden in the legends and stories he's been told along their journey? Either way, they have to work together and get along. R&R plz! Story filled with legends, friendship, humor, action and adventure. And a Hyuga dragon!
1. Chapter 1

Naruto fan fiction: Curse of the Dragon's Pearl.

Naruto and its characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto. This is just a fanfiction written for fun. I own nothing but my imagination. ^-^

**Summery: **

Naruto's carelessness results in Neji getting cursed. It doesn't seem so bad at first when it's discovered that Neji has been transformed into a dragon, but there's an issue when he's mistaken for a beast that's been tormenting other villages. Now everyone wants to kill him. R&R plz!

**Chapter 1:**

"How much longer?" Naruto whined. "My feet are killing me. Come on! How much longer?" Naruto frowned. "I said, 'how much longer'? Will someone answer me?!"

"It'll just be a few minutes more!" Neji snapped, turning around to answer him in the only way he knew how. "Shut up!"

Naruto clicked his tongue and muttered under his breath. "Jeez, what's your problem?"

Everyone's favorite blond pain-in-the-ass had spent the past week bored out of his mind. After his latest B-rank mission with Sai and Sakura, he had returned home for some well deserved rest. But after two days of resting, he was ready to go back out on another mission. He was always a fast healer and bursting with energy. Unfortunately for him, there were no assignments. At the moment, everything was peaceful. No one needed any help. There were only a few D-rank missions available but those were reserved for the new Genin who were just starting out, also eager to prove themselves. Besides, he didn't want something easy like finding a lost cat or something. He wanted real danger. Something that would send him to the emergency room if everything went well.

Sadly, there was nothing like that available. So he tried to do some training by himself. Now completely bored, Naruto begged the Hokage for a mission; any mission. She had nothing to offer him. Until today, that is. When Naruto saw the members of Team Gai walk into her office, he decided to follow them. They were going on a B-rank mission to a village Naruto had never been to before or heard of. The mission sounded interesting. Then again, anything did at this point to the desperate ninja. They were to go to the village and retrieve some stolen artifacts from a group of thieves, said to be well armed and dangerous. They were also to protect the remaining goods which hadn't been taken yet. Naruto was thrilled and came running into the room, begging to join them.

Which brought them to this point. Now Neji was leading a team made up of Tenten, Lee and Naruto. Neji knew that they didn't need Naruto with them, but the Hokage wanted to get rid of him. Everyone did. Now he was annoying them, complaining every two seconds about something. Neji just wanted to ditch him and move on. This mission was simple enough for his team. It was Naruto who was making it difficult. There was only so much one person could take.

"Are we there yet? We've been walking forever."

"Naruto!" Neji snapped. "One more complaint out of you and I'll string you up by your whiskers in a tree and leave you there, I swear to God!"

He shut his mouth. "I was just asking a simple question. I'm just tired is all. God…"

Tenten walked beside Neji and spoke to him gently. "You do seem more agitated than usual to day, Neji. Is something wrong?"

"You try leading a group with him involved."

"We're all putting up with him, same as you. You just have very little patience."

"No kidding…"

She smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure everything will work out fine. With any luck, he'll get it all out of his system and he'll be a lot more pleasant on the way back. Think of it that way. He's just restless."

"I know, I know." Neji came to the top of the hill and looked down through the trees. "Ah, good. There's the village."

"Where?!" Naruto pushed his way to the front and looked down the hill. His blue eyes lit up when he saw the rooftops poking through the tree branches. "Alright! Let's go!" He charged down the dirt road racing with Lee.

Neji groaned. "Idiots. Why waste energy like that? It's not like the village is going anywhere." Even as he said this, Tenten noticed that Neji had quickened his pace.

Naruto and Lee where neck-and-neck. They halted at the same time at the base of the hill and entered the village in a walk. There were children playing outside, kicking a ball around and chasing each other. Some adults were watching them while others went on with their own business. The village looked well kept. There was a large garden adjacent to the buildings and three wells in different locations. There were people leading horses into their stalls and some were standing around talking to each other. It looked like a very nice place to live.

As they walked, Naruto spotted something at the end of the street. This building was smaller than the others, but fancier. There were lanterns posted at each corner of the building and there was a wooden fence surrounding it. No other building had that feature. "That looks pretty cool."

"I think it is a shrine," said Lee. "It certainly looks like one."

"Yeah, but aren't shrines usually at the top of a hill somewhere and not just sitting there like that?"

Lee shrugged. "Not sure. Perhaps this village is different. Or it may not be a shrine at all and we are mistaken."

"Could be…"

Tenten stepped beside them and tugged on their sleeves. "Come on, let's go," she prodded. "We have to check in with the village headman. We have to let him know that we've arrived."

"Oh, right." Lee followed Tenten in the direction Neji had gone. Naruto followed close behind, taking another look at the tiny temple one last time before another building blocked it from sight.

Neji was already speaking to the man who had called for their help. Naruto couldn't hear what they were saying. He saw Neji nodding his head and he saw the man making gestures to some of the buildings and down the street. Naruto pushed his way to the front and looked at the headman. "So you're the boss of this village, right?"

The man looked at him. He had a receding hairline and a bit of a tummy on him. He was well dressed and wore a necklace with a tooth on it, making him look almost monk-like. "Yes, I am in charge here."

Naruto pointed to the small temple they passed on their way into the village. "Could you tell me what that is? That thing there that looks like a shrine."

The man looked in the direction Naruto was pointing. Though the building wasn't visible from where they stood, he knew what Naruto was referring to. "Oh, that. Yes, no one goes there. It's off limits."

"Why's that?"

The headman moved closer. "Because of the legends, of course."

"Legends?" Naruto, Lee and Tenten said at once.

"Oh, my, yes. Everyone knows the stories. They're famous in this village. Everyone's heard them. All sorts of legends." The man seemed proud of these stories. The tone in his voice told them that he was eager to tell them the tales. "There was rumored to be a high priestess many, many years ago who possessed awesome power. She was rumored to have the ability to summon dragons simply from drawing a small amount of blood from her finger."

"That sounds like a summoning jutsu to me," said Neji.

"Perhaps so, but these are what the legends say." The man went on. "According to legend, when she died, she wanted to keep her dragon followers safe from harm. So she sealed their essence away into jewels as a way to protect them."

"Cool..!" Naruto was in awe and wanted to hear more.

Neji scoffed. "That's ridiculous."

The headman looked at him. "Well, there are different variations of the legends. No one knows for sure if the tale is real or not. There are similar tales and we're not sure if any of those of correct either." He turned back to Naruto, who was hanging on his every word. "However, there is a legend called the Dragon's Pearl. It's the only proof we have that there may have been magic in the works in the past. There are different variations of this tale as well. But, long story short, we have an actual dragon pearl in that shrine. But it's cursed. There are different legends saying how it got cursed and why, but we are not to disturb its resting place. Anyone who does so shall have the dragon's curse upon them."

"Dragon's curse? That is so cool!"

"How long does this curse last?" asked Lee.

"No one knows for sure," said the headman. "Some say it's forever and nothing can be done. But others say that it's until order is restored. Not sure how. But there are stories that give details for how the curse can be lifted."

"Do all the legends of this village have to deal with dragons?" asked Tenten.

"No," he answered simply. "Some involve ghosts."

The twinkle in Naruto's eyes vanished. "G- ghosts?"

"What kind of ghosts?" asked Lee.

"There's a tale of the late priestess. They say she still roams the land, making sure no harm comes to her beloved dragon servants. She's said to punish anyone who displays any sort of hostility."

Lee looked excited while Naruto looked frightened. There was something about being haunted by dead spirits which could not be taken on by mere ninja tools or jutsus that was terrifying. Ghosts were scary things. Surely everyone would agree to that. Especially if it were a vengeful spirit. They were supposed to be able to throw things across the room and you couldn't see them do it. They could also pin you against the ceiling and strangle you. You could feel their hands on your throat but couldn't see them and couldn't touch them. Scary stuff.

"We have a lot of ghost stories here," the man went on. "Just ask around. Everyone knows the tales. And fair warning. Do not throw anything down the wells you find here. They say a well spirit will rise from the depths and make off with a piece of your flesh if you do so."

Naruto shivered. Tenten smiled, amused and Lee marveled at the image of the spirit. Neji just rolled his eyes. "Can we get back to business?" he asked.

The headman nodded. "Oh, right. Yes, of course. Ahem… Uh, is there anything else you'll be needing right now?"

"If I could have a layout of the land, that would be great." Neji looked at his team. "I'll set up a game plan with my team and we'll see what we can do for you."

"Thank you very much. I have a map in my study. Just a minute." The headman went into a nearby building and disappeared.

Naruto looked at Neji. "Did you know this place was haunted?" he asked in a shaky voice.

"Please. Those are just stories. None of it's true."

"But- but…"

"Trust me. Can we move on to real matters in the meantime?"

Once Neji was given the map, he showed it to his team. With the headman's permission, he asked to have a look around the building where the thefts occurred. Using his Byakugan, Neji stole a peek at the building.

"Anything?" Tenten asked, searching the outside of the building the old fashioned way.

"There don't seem to be any trap doors or hidden passages in the building. Nothing in the roof or underground. There are no broken windows or openings that I can see." Neji turned off his Byakugan.

Tenten stopped looking and came up to him, looking at the headman's home. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking…" Neji said slowly. "There are a couple different possibilities I can see right off the bat. The lack of force to enter the building suggests that these people knew what they were doing."

"You're saying these aren't your typical bandits?"

"Could be that… or more likely…" Neji put a hand to his chin, thinking. "Here's the way I see it… According to the headman, this isn't the first time they had stolen things from the village. They've done it before. Skilled bandits would normally hit a place and then get out of there and not return. The fact that these people have done this more than once on a nightly basis would suggest that they're either not very good, or this whole thing is a game to them. Coming back, stealing more things, but never more than a few items means two things to me. They're only after certain artifacts, or that there aren't too many of them so they need to make multiple trips."

"Or both."

Neji looked around the house, examining it closely without his Byakugan. He put his hand against the walls, pushing to see if they would give way. Everything was sturdy. "They knew how to get in. Either they're good, or they know the land very well."

"You're thinking this was an inside job?" asked Tenten.

* * *

"No, no, no," said the headman. "The people of this village would never do such a thing. I can assure you that this was not an inside job."

"How would you know, sir?" Tenten asked. "I'm sure they're trustworthy people, but what if they just did this as a joke? Maybe there are people in the village who are angry with you for some reason. Any chance of that?"

The outside thoroughly checked, the team moved into the building, searching the headman's artifact room. Wall to wall shelves, overflowing with papers and trinkets. The floor held numerous vases and antiques and tables and chairs. There were empty spots on the shelves where things were missing. There was only one window in the room, just large enough for a thin person to squeeze through. There was only one door leading in and out but it lead to a long hallway and past several rooms. This would mean that whoever these thieves were, would have to pass through the whole house to get to the room and disturb everyone. Which meant their most likely entry was through the window. Other than that, there was no way in.

"No one, not even the children would consider doing such a thing. The adults understand the importance of these priceless artifacts."

Naruto nudged Lee with his elbow. "Hey, Lee, check this out." Naruto was wearing a bronze crown with numerous beads and ornaments dangling down like glimmering locks of hair. "I'm a royal prince. Lend me your ear, good sir."

"Get that off your head!" Neji snapped.

Naruto tossed it back on the shelf as quick as he could. The crown bounced off the shelf and clattered to the floor. "Sorry…"

"The children of the village believe most of these artifacts to be cursed. If they were mistreated or stolen from this room, it would bring misfortune to them and their entire family," the headman went on.

Naruto picked up the crown, polished it with his sleeve and placed it carefully back on the shelf. "Nice crown, good crown… No cursy, pleasy…"

Neji rolled his eyes. Then he addressed the headman again. "What about this room? Is the door ever locked?"

"No, this room is never locked."

"And the home itself? Do you lock your doors?"

"Not unless I'm retired for the evening. Otherwise, my home is open for anyone to enter. I only lock the doors when I do not intend to leave again until morning."

"I see… There's a whole gap for when these people could have entered…"

Lee stood up and turned to Neji. "Do you think the culprits will show up again tonight? What do we do about this room?"

"There seems to be a pattern. I believe they will show up again." Neji motioned for everyone to follow him outside. They left the artifact room and stood outside the building.

"They only strike at night," Lee said. "Should we wait until then to take action? What of the building? Lay down traps? Secure it?"

"No, leave the building alone. I have an idea." Neji pulled out the map the headman had given to him. The team looked it over. There wasn't much to it. Neji pointed to Tenten and Lee. "When I spoke with the headman before, he said that the thieves appeared yesterday night and stole some things from his office. They went off in that direction." He pointed east. "Now, this isn't the first time they've been hit. Some other things were stolen two nights ago. There seems to be a pattern. The village will most likely get hit again tonight. So here's what I think we should do. We'll split up into groups. Two will stay behind and guard the village. The other two will go into the forest and keep an eye out for these people. If anyone comes into the village from the east, regard them as the culprits."

Tenten nodded. "I can scout ahead and set up some traps if you think it'll help. Or would it risk hurting some innocent people? There are farm animals running loose around here and there are little kids."

"Traps in the woods seem fine. By that time, everyone should be in bed. I'll point out where I want you to set things up."

"Ok," she nodded. "Then I'll keep a lookout from up ahead. That ok with you?"

"That's fine. Lee, go with her."

He saluted Neji. "You can count on me."

"And me?" asked Naruto.

Neji sighed heavily. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but… you and I will be set up here. I'll guard the village from the inside in case they get past Lee and Tenten. Our job will be to protect the remaining artifacts."

"You mean we have to stay with the ghosts?"

"There are no ghosts. Will you stop it?"

* * *

When the sunset, most of the villagers returned to their homes for the evening. Except for a couple of teenagers returning to their homes after a long afternoon and an old man carrying baskets on his shoulders. The livestock had been returned to their proper locations and household pets were brought inside. Doors were locked and windows were shut.

Now all they had to do was wait. Neji had sent Naruto to the other side of the village, thinking it best if they were to spread out. Naruto didn't want to be alone like this. Not at night and certainly not in a supposedly haunted location. Prior to everyone getting into their locations, the village headman had filled Naruto's head with stories from their village. Other villagers jumped in with their own tales. After a few short hours, Naruto was completely paranoid. Every shadow looked ominous and every slight movement could have been a ghost, thirsty for revenge. So many curses, so many things he could do to set off one of the many spirits who dwelled within this village. Every sound made Naruto jump.

A bird flew from one branch to the next, making him jump up with a yelp; then looked up and saw the thin branch quiver in the bird's sudden absence. He pulled his collar up, feeling vulnerable. He wanted to go inside and hide somewhere.

"What am I thinking? I've made it this far, haven't I? I've got some new skills. Maybe I can fight my way out of a situation like that. Besides, Neji said there's no such thing."

A gust of wind howled low to the ground and slapped the back of Naruto's legs. It felt as if someone were trying to push him.

"Then again… Neji!" Naruto cried and ran to the other side of the village. He couldn't do this alone.

Neji saw him coming from the end of the street and pulled out a kunai. "What is it? Did you see them?"

Naruto ran and hid behind Neji, looking around to see if he was being followed. Positive that no one was there, he came out of his hiding place and gave another look around, panting. "Uh… I was thinking that… You know, maybe we could keep watch together. Maybe?"

The Jonin groaned, shoulders slumping. "You have got to be kidding me. Get back over there, you big baby!"

"Hey! I am not a baby! I just heard a noise and…"

"And you ran here because you got spooked? What if it were the thieves? Keep at your post."

Naruto gulped, looking at the shrine behind Neji. The lanterns were lit, giving it an eerie glow in the cloudy night. There were so many stories he heard about what dwelled within that shrine. There was a legend that claimed that taking anything from the hallowed ground would result in the person's eyes being torn out of their skulls. Setting foot on the grass would cause spirits to rise from their tombs and choke the trespasser to death. Breaking anything on or in the shrine itself would cause numerous demons to drag the person to the underworld in an instant. He started shaking again.

"Don't tell me you actually believe those stories they told you…"

Naruto answered with a whimper.

"For God's sake, Naruto… They tell those stories to kids to teach them a lesson. Don't throw things down the well. It's common knowledge but to a mischievous kid, they'll do it just to be a smart aleck. That's why they make up those tales. Some times a scary monster coming after you is more effective than a keep out sign. You know kids. They never listen when you say no. That only makes them want to do it more."

"Yeah, but…" There was a loud shriek from the trees and Naruto jumped behind Neji. "See? See?! What did I tell you? It's the shriek of the headless maiden, who was murdered for a false prostitution claim! Now she wails for unrequited love, crying out for her soulless lovers!"

"Naruto, do you even know what you just said?"

"I heard them say it."

"You're just regurgitating information…" Neji looked off into the distance. "It's probably Tenten and Lee. They might have caught the thieves."

"Shouldn't we help them?"

"No. Our job is to stay here as their backup. If we go charging in, we'll leave the village open to attack. Besides, we have no way of knowing if that was merely a distraction and the real trouble is coming in from another location of the village. We have to remain here and wait. Keep an eye out."

Naruto looked at the shrine. He felt like he was being watched. He tapped Neji on the shoulder. "What if just one of us goes on ahead to check things out?"

"Ok, but that means you'll have to be alone."

"… We'd better stay put. Just in case."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Neji kept staring off in one direction. When Naruto looked, he noticed the veins bulging around his eyes. He was using his Byakugan. "Can that thing see ghost, too, by any chance?"

"There's no such thing, now be quiet." A minute later he turned it off and started walking forward. Two figures were coming out of the forest dragging something behind them. "Well?"

Tenten gave him a smile. "That was almost too easy." She pulled a young man to the front and dropped him at Neji's feet. "He claims he knows the headman."

"Who are the others?" Neji gestured to the four unidentified boys tied up behind Lee with his chin. The boys couldn't have been older than 14 or so. One of them looked 12.

They dragged the boys to the headman's home and dropped them at the door. The headman stepped outside and looked disappointed as well as angry. As he looked into the eldest boy's face, he didn't seem too surprised.

"You know them? This one says he knows you."

"Yeah, I do," the headman sighed. "They're from the next village over. This one here's the ringleader. He used to belong to this village until he moved in with his girlfriend in the next village. He helped me clean my study from time to time. Now I know how he got in to my office in the first place."

The youngest boy turned on the waterworks. "It was just a prank!" he sobbed. "They told me to do it! Said it would be funny!"

"Shut up!" another boy kicked him.

"Please don't tell my mom. She'd kill me!"

"I said shut up!" The boy wiggled his gloved hand free to take a swing at him. Though their hands were bound, Naruto could see that every one of them had on a pair of gloves.

The headman paced the ground, rubbing his neck thoughtfully. "Well… I suppose I could go easy on you. Where are my artifacts?"

"My house…" the leader mumbled.

"Just return everything you've taken and never do it again. I'll keep this quiet, but if it should happen again, I will not go so lightly on you."

Naruto thought it was fair, but he would have liked to see these kids get whacked around a little bit. Maybe the headman was being too lenient. Then again, it was only a prank. Naruto had pulled his share of pranks before and they wouldn't be his last.

* * *

The headman was so pleased with their work that he invited the whole team to stay the night in his home. Actually, he wasn't so much pleased with them as he felt guilty for calling them all the way out on account of some merry pranksters. He was sorry that they had to waste their time, truly thinking that there were horrible bandits stealing their goods in the dead of night.

After a filling dinner, Neji's team went to their rooms. The headman only had two rooms available for them and they could only fit two people comfortably. Tenten said that she would stay with Neji while Naruto and Lee took the other room. That turned out to be a poor choice, seeing how the two were wound up and already making plans for an eventful evening. To keep them separated, Tenten decided to stay with Lee, leaving Naruto in Neji's care. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. Naruto was quiet for some time, leaving Neji to think that he had fallen asleep. Neji settled into his sleeping bag on the wicker floor and tried to relax.

In the middle of the night, Naruto awoke, sitting up in his sleeping bag and looking around. He heard creaking sounds but couldn't pinpoint where they were coming from. He gulped and reached for his pack with his ninja tools. Then he heard footsteps. He ducked inside his sleeping bag, cowering in fear. When he peeked out to see if there were any spirits floating around, he saw a strange light outside the only window in the room. The light moved slowly along the wall, as if someone were carrying a lantern. The light was pale and ghostly. It must have been one of the spirits from those stories he spent his afternoon hearing about. Why, oh, why did they have to travel to a haunted village at night like this?

A clunk made him jump and he reached out with a trembling hand, touching Neji's shoulder. "Psst. Neji. Neji!"

He squeezed his eyes tightly shut and turned away. After a few more prods, Neji finally answered him. "What?" he asked sleepily, keeping his eyes closed.

"I think there's something here. Like a ghost or something."

Neji moaned and turned away from him.

"Neji, I think it's one of those lantern spirits from those stories."

"Go back to sleep and don't wake me up again unless there's a real problem."

Naruto curled into a ball inside his sleeping bag and tried to get it out of his mind. Things seemed quiet for a few minutes. Then he started shivering, feeling as if he were being watched. He felt these eyes upon him, but was unable to tell if they were friendly or not. He hated this feeling. Though he couldn't see anyone, he knew someone was looking at him. Then there was another creaking noise and Naruto started to shake Neji's shoulder.

"Neji! Neji!"

"Is the house on fire?"

"Huh? Uh… no."

"Is the village under attack?"

"… No."

"Are Tenten and Lee in the room and asked you to bother me?"

"No."

"Has anyone been killed?"

"No."

"Then why the hell are you waking me up?"

"I heard something. I think we're being watched."

Neji rolled onto his stomach, grumbling. "I don't believe this…"

"Something's here, Neji."

"It's all in your head. Would you go back to sleep and leave me alone?"

Naruto tapped his shoulder again. "But I heard a creaking noise. And footsteps."

"Someone might have gotten up to go to the bathroom or something. We're not the only ones here, you know. And it's an old building. They creak and moan all the time. It's not a big deal."

His annoying roommate was quiet for a minute so Neji tried to get back to sleep. It wasn't easy. He was always such a light sleeper and it took him a while to finally get to sleep at night. Sometimes it took hours. Tonight, it was next to impossible with Naruto in the room. He felt Naruto's tug again at his arm.

"But Neji, what if it-"

"I'm telling you. Everything's fine. Now go to sleep."

A minute passed and then…

"I just saw a light go by the window. I think it's a spirit."

"It's nothing."

He gasped. "I just saw something move outside! There's something out there."

"You're being ridiculous."

He poked Neji's shoulder and back repeatedly with his finger. "Neji, Neji, Neji!"

"For God's sake, knock it off!" Neji sprang up and looked Naruto in the face with bloodshot eyes. "Listen to me. I'm tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep before the mission, I just came back from another one the other day and got next to no rest at all before another one of Gai's training sessions. On top of that, I had to deal with you whining the whole way here, your constant obsessions with folklore that's not even true in the slightest and you take it to heart and are on constant alert for ghosts, waking me up every five seconds when I would like nothing more than to get a good night's sleep for a change. Now will you please… leave me alone!"

Naruto looked over Neji's shoulder and started shaking. "I just saw it again. I think it came from the shrine."

"That's it!" Neji threw open his sleeping bag and climbed over Naruto's legs, reaching the door to the room. "We're settling this once and for all. We'll go out there and I'll show you that there's nothing out there. Anything to get peace."

The blond looked from side to side. "Are you sure? What if..?"

"Are you coming or not?" Neji started to leave. Not wanting to be left alone, Naruto chased after him.

The closely packed wooden houses along the dirt road were dark. The village, so lively in the day, was now quietly asleep, the moon mounted in the sky like a crooked smile shining down upon the humble little village. The two ninja walked from the warm headman's home into the dark cold street with nothing but the moon and the stars to guide them. Their footsteps seemed to hush the night as they made their way toward the shrine. Naruto kept close to Neji's heels as they walked in uneasy silence. Now he wished he had stayed in the house. He felt as if he would be attacked any moment. Something could pick him up and fling him into the air and dropped so hard every bone in his body would shatter.

Neji stood in front of the wooden gate fencing in the shrine, separating it from the rest of the buildings. The lanterns were all lit and glowing dimly in the night, chasing away the darkness. It looked like a welcoming little hut, promising comfort and warmth. Still, the lanterns' glow and the stories of the land gave it a spooky feel. "See? Nothing. It's fine."

"The ghost could be inside. You know, hiding from us. You'd better go check."

"Why do I have to go inside and check it out?"

"See, you're just as scared as I am." Naruto shivered as a small breeze picked up, chilling his exposed flesh. "There's no way I'm going in there alone. I don't wanna get eaten."

Neji groaned. "Will you stop complaining if I show you that there's nothing inside? Will you leave me alone then and let me get some sleep?"

Naruto nodded quickly feeling chills run up and down his spine. He gave the longhaired boy a shove toward the building.

"Let's get this over with," said Neji, as he passed the two stone lions marking the entrance.

Naruto hesitated. He looked at the stone lions, mouths agape, frozen in mid-attack. He was waiting for them to spring to life and pounce on him. Since Neji made it past unharmed, it must have been safe, so he crossed. He was careful to stay off the grass and on the stone walkway. Neji was already at the door to the shrine, waiting for him to catch up. Naruto quickened his pace and moved into the light of the lanterns. His footsteps creaked on the wooden steps leading up to the door. The loud sound made him want to turn back but he pressed on.

"Well?" Neji asked impatiently. He put his hand on the door, ready to open it. Naruto looked at the lanterns. It was strange that there weren't any moths or bugs of any kind fluttering around the light. It was as if the lights were a warning for all to stay away. There must have been some great power here to chase away even the simplest of creatures. There were no webs or dirt or anything on the outside of the shrine. It looked brand new, even up close. If no one was allowed on these grounds, the only explanation was magic. Neji pulled the sliding door open and stepped inside. Once again, Naruto hesitated. But seeing how Neji wasn't dragged to his doom gave Naruto confidence to do the same and went inside.

It looked like a small shack. There was barely enough room for two people to be inside at the same time. There were artifacts on small wooden tables along the walls on either side of the building. Naruto stepped closer to have a better look. Everything was quite old, but well kept. There were scrolls laying on the table, locked up tight which made Naruto curious to see what secrets they held. But he didn't touch any of them. Beside the scrolls were rusty tools from many years ago. Next to those were other old objects such as a flute, a bow, a trowel, a compass and an old pair of shoes. Next to them were some strange looking tassels and clips. "Neji, what are these?" he asked.

"Those are hair ornaments, usually worn by nobles. Can we go now?"

"Do priestesses count as nobles?"

"Whatever answer gets us out of here faster. We're not supposed to be in here. I only brought you in so I could show you that there's no such things…" He only agreed to this to pacify Naruto.

Naruto tuned him out. He was too busy looking at the other things on display in this little temple. Normally he hated museums, but these were pretty interesting. There were paintings hanging on walls and old pieces of wood and cloth. On the next table was a pipe and some thread. There was a display case containing some old coins and jewels behind the glass. Naruto moved closer, his breath fogging up the glass.

"Can we go now? With any luck I'll be able to get a couple hours' sleep in before dawn. We're not supposed to be in here."

"Then why did you bring me here?"

"To settle things once and for all. You wouldn't give me a moment's peace. I'm tired. I'm not thinking straight. Can't we just leave now? We've seen the shrine. There's nothing and no one in here. It was just the lanterns blowing in the wind. That's all."

"You never know," said Naruto. "The spirit could have known we were coming and…"

"Will you stop with the spirit nonsense?" Neji growled. "It's all made up. There's no such things."

"But the legends…"

"Naruto, think about it," he went on. "None of those stories made any logical sense. It was like no one could decide on a plot. Whoever made them up couldn't make up their minds. They're all over the place and make no sense at all. All the villagers told you different versions of the same stories. If those tales were true in the slightest, something would match up. Think about it."

Now that he thought about it, Neji did have a point. All those stories didn't match up at all. Even the ones with the same title were different entirely. Like the story of the Dragon's Pearl. One tale said that the priestess had sealed away her dragon servants into pearls, which was why they were so rightly named. Another tale claimed that the dragon pearl held within it the spirit of the dragons and their power. The people of the village would call upon them in their hour of need to protect them. The story explained how the spirit of the dragons would come out and shield the village from danger and once the threat was gone, their power went back into the pearl. A variation of that tale claimed that the spirit of the dragons and their power would enter into the bodies of the village's guardians, giving them strength and power to defeat their enemies. The same tale told by another said that the Dragon's Pearl was a curse in and of itself. Anyone who touched it would have the dragon's curse upon them. Just what that curse was, no one knew. But it was enough to frighten people away.

Maybe Neji was right. If any of it were true, something would have to match up somewhere. They had to decide on something. None of those stories were well put together and now that he thought about it, they really didn't make any sense at all.

After doing some thinking and seeing that there was nothing to fear, Naruto felt a lot better. He was being a little ridiculous. Maybe Neji did have a reason to yell at him. "I guess you're right. Sorry I woke you up."

Neji grunted. "Let's get out of here before you break something."

"I'm not going to break anything." Naruto backed up into a table and knocked something off a stand. Neji dove to the ground and caught something in both hands. He breathed a sigh of relief, holding up an orb. It matched the color of his pupil-less eyes and was about the side of a small melon. It looked like the same thing fortunetellers would use when predicting someone's fate.

Neji set the orb back on its resting place very carefully. Then he rounded on Naruto. "I told you to be careful."

"It wasn't my fault! This place is so cramped I can barely move."

"Let's go." Neji grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him out of the building. He closed the door and dragged Naruto down the path and between the stone lions at the gate. "I can't believe I brought you in there just to put an end to the nonsense. You take everything at face value, don't you? You're so gullible."

"Am not!"

"Hey, you two!" A man carrying a lantern in his hand called to them, walking forward. "What are you doing out here? You're not supposed to be in there! It's off limits!"

Neji had a feeling this would happen. Before he could explain himself, the village headman came jogging towards them. "What's going on out here? I heard voices. Someone said the shrine door was open. What happened?"

"I'm very sorry," Neji told the two men. "We were concerned. We saw movement and lights and thought that those kids were back so we thought we'd check it out. We looked in the temple to see if anything was stolen. Everything's in its place so we left. I'm sorry about all this."

It was a good and believable lie. Neji was pretty good at this.

The headman sighed. "No, I'm sorry." He pulled his coat over his robes, protecting himself from the cold air. "No one's allowed in there. We hold precious artifacts from our ansesters in that shrine. They were supposed to belong to the founders of this village and that's all that's left of them. The kids get into everything and as you can see from tonight that we have our share of pranksters. So we locked everything up in that shrine and…"

"Told them that there were powerful curses involved?" interrupted Neji.

"Yes," the headman admitted. "Kids will be kids. When you tell them 'no' it only makes them want to do it more. Sometimes a tales about curses and monsters is more effective than a 'keep out' sign."

Neji shot Naruto a look. These were his words used by another man to convey a similar message. There really were no curses. They were all stories.

"It's become a tradition," the headman went on. "I heard the tales from my father and his family told them to him and they heard them around and… Well, everyone does it. We tell the kids so they'll have a reason to stay away. Like Santa and his naughty or nice list and whatnot. The kids would get in there, snoop around and try to play with the things in there. I'm sure you saw the flute and the jewels and the ink stones. They would take them, play with them. Especuially the orb that's in there. That's supposed to be the Dragon's Pearl. But knowing the children, they would try to use it as a ball, kick it around, throw it… It would break."

"I understand. Sometimes children believe stories and take them to heart." Neji shot another look at Naruto. He shot one back.

"Granted, that orb had been stolen before."

"It had?" Naruto asked. "But I thought they all believed those legends and curses."

"True, but just like Santa and all those similar tales, eventually the kids grow up and realize the truth. Some are mature enough to realize why they were told the tales in the first place. Others just like to monkey around and play tricks. Like tonight." The headman sighed again. "Because no one goes in there, we didn't even know it was missing until it was returned."

"Who returned it? Who stole it?" Naruto wanted to know.

He shrugged. "I have no idea. It was returned by someone from the Sand village. Some kid. He said that he was returning from some mission and saw a couple of kids running away carrying something in a sack. He stopped them and brought it back for us. He put it in the shrine and everything. Then he left. I have no idea who those thieves were, but with any luck, they were the same people you caught tonight from the next village over. I mean, it must have been them. The orb was stolen and returned a couple days before you arrived."

"Right when the other thefts started," Neji nodded. "It makes sense."

A strong gust of wind blew and the four shivered.

"It's late. You should return to bed."

"Gladly." Neji pulled on Naruto's arm. "Hear that? Just stories to scary impressionable children. Now let's go back to bed and I don't want to hear any more out of you for the rest of the night."

"What are you, my mom?" Naruto hated being lectured. He sounded just like Sakura, without all the punching.

* * *

This seems like a good start. I don't want to make the first chapter too long. We still have a ways to go ^-^

There should be a preview comic of this fanfiction posted on DeviantArt. It doesn't give away too much and they're fun to look at ^-^ If it's not posted yet, it will be for the next chapter or so.

Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: **

It was a long walk home from the small village filled with hazy legends. Rather than whine and complain, Naruto amused himself by kicking a stone along the dirt path, keeping quiet. Naruto used to whine more when he was younger, now it only seemed to occur when he was bored or overtired. Speaking of overtired, Neji was having a difficult time walking in a straight line. He was exhausted, having gotten little to no sleep at all for the past couple of nights. Last night, he was lucky to get an hour of sleep with Naruto's constant worrying and afterwards his loud snoring. Everything combined put Neji into a bitter mood this morning.

Naruto kicked the stone into a tree, shaking leaves from the branches. An acorn hit Neji on the head and he snarled. "Will you please?!"

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Can't you walk in a straight line and behave?"

"Sorry," Naruto grumbled.

Tenten walked beside Neji and commented to him softly. "You're in a real mood today."

"You would be too if he kept you up all night chasing some ghost story."

"Still… You've been this way since yesterday. Today more so. Are you sure there's nothing more to this?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She means what crawled up your butt?" Naruto threw over his shoulder, now walking side by side with Lee further ahead.

After shooting him a glare he looked back at Tenten. "I'm just tired and stressed. I barely got any sleep at all last night and possibly less the other night. I just want to go home and take a nap."

When they returned to the village, they went straight to Lady Tsunade's office to check in. Neji felt like he was in a fog the whole while. He just wanted to sleep. After they reported the events, Tsunade congratulated them on a job well done and dismissed them. On the way out the door, Naruto stepped on Neji's foot as he raced off to get himself some lunch at his favorite ramen shop. Neji didn't say anything but glared at him. Tenten and Lee went their separate ways and Neji walked home alone.

As he entered the Hyuga compound, a voice called to him. He turned his head and saw Hinata's father looking at him from the gate. It looked as if he had been waiting for him for some time. His expression was impossible to read. He looked disappointed, but he usually had a scowl on his face so this may have been him in a good mood.

"Afternoon, Neji," greeted Hiashi. "I see your mission went well."

Neji bowed to him. "Yes, sir."

There was no denying his stress. There were many factors; one of them being the main branch. As a member of the second branch of the Hyuga clan, Neji's role was to serve and protect the main branch. Hiashi was main branch and so were his daughters. Neji was to do whatever they told him to do. It wasn't all bad. Hiashi seemed to be making an attempt to clear up any bad blood between the two branches. He had been showing Neji some techniques known only to the main branch and prefect his skills as a ninja. He was indebted to his man. These reasons alone obligated Neji to show him respect. When called, he had to come.

But why did it have to be when he was so tired?

Hiashi pulled something out of his coat and handed it to Neji. "I need you to run a few errands for me." Neji took the paper from his hand and glanced at it. It was a list. "These have to be taken care of as soon as possible."

He knew the occasion. The end of this week marked Hanabi's birthday, his youngest daughter. Normally, main branch birthdays were a week long affair, with preparation and then the celebration itself. Neji never had a birthday like that before. Such things were done only for the main branch. Things worked differently for the women in the clan, which needed to be taken in to account. Hanabi was seen as more competent and skilled than her sister Hinata, which was why their father felt that she would take over the clan and lead it one day. Hinata simply wasn't as fierce as her father would have liked. A lot was expected from the main branch. Hanabi delivered what Hiashi was looking for.

It wasn't that Hinata wasn't skilled. She had asked Neji to help train her since her father stopped, seeing her as a lost cause. It was done in secrecy. Neji didn't think of it as going behind his uncle's back and disrespecting him. After all, Hinata was main branch and, as a member of the second branch, Neji was obligated to fulfill her request. He had little choice in the matter. When asked to do something, he had to do it. Through their training together, Neji had not only noticed an improvement in her abilities, but also saw that she was skillful. She just needed confidence. Someone had to believe in her and help her, otherwise she would never get better. Neji was happy to help. It was not only his job, he also wanted to make up for their troubled past. He wanted to make things better between them.

"Can I count on you for this?" Hiashi asked, looking from the note to Neji's eyes.

Neji bowed again. "Yes, sir. You can count on me." He turned and obediently went into the shopping area of the village. He wanted to rest, but he couldn't until this was done. Luckily, he didn't have too much to do. Everyone had their jobs to do. The servants would take care of most of the decorations and the setup.

First stop was the Yamanaka flower shop. Neji opened the wooden door, the small bell above his head ringing like a wind chime. He saw who was on staff and wanted to walk right back out that door. Ino looked up from her magazine and smiled. "Well, well, well… To what do I owe the pleasure?" she asked, batting her lashes at him. Flirting already, it seemed. She wasted little time.

"I'm here to place an order for flowers to be delivered."

"Ooh..! For Tenten?"

"Why would I do that?" he asked, lowering his brow.

"They're not for her? Isn't she your lover?"

"We're teammates," he grumbled.

"So you don't like her?"

"I like her." He saw the twinkle in her eyes and quickly added, "We work well together as a team and she's not annoying, but we're not dating. I don't have time for such distractions…"

Ino shrugged and pushed the magazine aside. "So what are you looking for? What kind of flowers would you like?"

Neji read off from the list. "I'll need six dozen white roses."

"Short stem or long stem?"

"Uh… It doesn't… Oh, wait. Short stem."

Ino made a note of it in her book by the register. "What else?"

"Lilacs. A dozen bundles, it says here. A dozen yellow carnations, two dozen Gladiolus, Casablanca, purple tulips and daffodils. That's all it says."

While Ino wrote all of this down, Neji stole a quick peek at the magazine she had been reading. It was opened up to a page which read 'More than just friends? Look for these signs to see if love is blossoming in your social group, be it friends, coworkers or teammates'. No wonder she was asking all these questions. More junk for the mind. Just below that read 'Top five ways to please your man'. Neji decided to stop reading there and looked to see how Ino was doing. She was counting up the flowers she had marked down. She looked troubled when she got to one of the flowers.

"I'll have to check on the purple tulips. They've been very popular this week. Selling like crazy." She came around from behind the counter and brushed past Neji. She went over to a stack of pots neatly lined up on display. She handed him a pot, a seedling just beginning to sprout. "Hold this."

"Why don't you just set it on the floor?" he asked, not wanting to carry a pot of dirt for this inconsiderate girl.

"Because I just mopped the floor and don't want it to get dirty again." She handed him another pot, this one of goldenrods. "And this. Hold this, too." She tossed it into his face then bent down to look at the lower sleves.

The pollen from the flowers were shaken loose and went into his face. The golden glitter tickled his sinuses and his nose began to twitch. He couldn't cover his mouth with his hands full. His eyes started to tear up and he quickly turned his head to the side, sneezing into a plant. "Ah… ah-choo!" He sniffled and tried to shake away some of the pollen.

"Bless you." Ino stood up. "You're in luck. I just happen to have… What the heck happened here?!"

"What?" Neji saw the stunned look on her face and followed her eyes to a potted plant near his head. It was withered and shrivled up, only a dried up clump at the bottom of the pot. It was smoking, as if someone had set a blowtorch to it.

Ino put her hand on the pot and quickly pulled away, shaking her hand in the air. "Ouch! It's hot!"

"Hot? How?" Neji set the pots in his hands back on the shelf and touched the pot cautiously. It felt like a rock that had been basking in the sun on a hot summer day. "That's odd…"

The girl beside him looked at the other plants on display. None of them seemed to be effected in any way. "Huh… That's weird." She clicked her tongue and took the pot down from the shelf. "Well, that's alright. It wasn't selling anyway." She put the pot on the counter and sighed. "I'll get started on your order. You want it delivered, right?"

"Huh?" Neji turned around, shaking away his wonder. What had happened to that plant was just plain strange. "Oh, yeah. Can you deliver it to the main branch gate? It'll go to Hinata's house."

"Oh, yeah!" Ino smiled. "It's her little sister's birthday this week, isn't it? She told me about it a while ago. I just forgot about it. What do you think? Should I get her a gift? I don't know her that well. Is it just a Hyuga thing? Is she having a big party? How many are invited? Do you think it would be ok if I come? I love parties. No, never mind. It's a Hyuga thing and I don't really know her. Then again…"

"So the delivery should happen four days from now. That's when her party is," Neji interrupted. When Ino started rambling, it was time to leave. When Ino marked down the date, Neji left the flower shop. No rest for the weary. It was on to his next appointment. He would also have to pick out a gift for his cousin at some point. He wasn't sure what to get her. Perhaps he should ask Hinata for advice. After all, it was her sister.

* * *

After the flower shop, Neji went to meet with the caterer Hiashi wanted for the party and gave him the instructions he had writen down. From there, he went to the bakery to order Hanabi's cake. Then he went to pick up the new dress Hanabi wanted to wear on her special day. It was wrapped in dark plastic so Neji couldn't see what it looked like, but it had her name on the label so it must have been the correct order. The gown was heavy making Neji wonder if it was really a dress or robes instead. Neji took the outfit back to the main branch and gave it to Hiashi who was waiting for him on the porch.

He looked at the garment and nodded. "Excellent. This is the one. Thank you, Neji."

Neji bowed to him.

"And the other arrangements?"

"Taken care of, sir. The flowers you requested are scheduled to be delivered at your door the morning of the celebration. The caterer has begun preperations for the meal and the cake will be done to Lady Hanabi's specifications and will be ready for pick-up."

"Very good." A servant whispered something to Hiashi who nodded back and sent him away. "Everything is going as planned. The festivities will be in the courtyard in the back by the gaurden. Everything is being set up on time. Thank you for your help. You may go."

"Thank you, sir." Neji bowed again and left. He went straight to his house and collapsed on the bed. He couldn't stay awake any longer and passed out immediately.

The sun was setting when he woke up. He sat up in bed and looked at the clock mounted on the wall. It was a little after 6:30. He rubbed the back of his neck and looked around his tidy room. Everything was in its place. He reached up and noticed that he had fallen asleep with his headband still on. He didn't mind. It didn't bother him. He really needed that nap. He felt a lot better. What did bother him was the jingling of the wind chime outside his window. The sound was pleasant but annoying. Still, he never took it down. He tolerated the sound.

There was a knock at the door and Neji went to see who it was. Lee was bouncing on his doorstep, looking very excited. "Neji! Gai sensei has returned from his mission and wants to take us out to dinner!"

"Oh. Now?"

"Yes, now! Come on! Are you hungry?"

His stomach was feeling pretty empty. "Sure, just a minute." He got ready quickly and followed Lee out the door.

Tenten and Gai were waiting for them under a street light. Gai immediately started to tell them about his mission, finding a way to incorperate them into it somehow. He made a lot of comparisions. When they arrived at the resturant of choice, Neji moaned. It was Lee's favorite place: the curry shop. Gai wouldn't let him leave or protest and shoved him through the door. They were seated at a table together and given menus.

"Order whatever you like!" Gai boomed happily. "It's a celebration for a mission well completed! My missions as well as yours. How did it go, by the way?"

Lee started to tell Gai all the details of their mission while Neji looked over the menu for something mild he could eat. Maybe a simple bowl of rice would do. That didn't look like an option when he saw that everything on the menu was swimming in curry. He just couldn't take the spice. He never could.

When the waitress came back to their table, Neji ordered the mildest thing he could find on the menu, asking for a bowl of rice on the side just in case he couldn't handle it, while Lee ordered the hottest thing they offered. While they waited, Gai continued to talk about his mission in excruciating detail. A few minutes later, the waitress returned with their orders.

Neji looked down at his plate with a grimace. The moment of truth. After taking a large gulp of water, preparing himself for the heat to come, he dipped the spoon into the curry and hovered it before his mouth. He took a deep breath and incerted the spoon. The curry hit his tongue and… nothing. There was no heat at all to it. He swallowed and looked down at his plate. Was that all the mild had to offer? No kick, on heat, no nothing. He went back for more and the same thing happened. There was no heat at all to the curry. No spice at all. Nothing. He was very pleased about this. Normally, even the mild stuff would have his eyes watering and his head spinning. This was great.

While Neji ate his curry, Lee looked down at his with a disappointed look on his face.

"Something wrong?" Gai asked him.

"This has very little spice to it. It is very mild to me," Lee said.

Tenten looked from Lee's plate to Neji's and noticed something. "Neji, didn't you ask for a bowl of rice on the side with yours?"

Neji looked at Lee's plate. Beside it was a bowl of white rice.

"I think your orders got switched."

Neji and Lee switched plates. Lee ate a mouthful of the curry Neji had been eating and the moment it hit his tongue, his eyes started to tear up and his face turned pink. "Yes, yes! This is mine! Sorry about that, Neji. Seems she gave us the wrong dishes."

The Jonin across the table was more shocked than anything else. He looked from plate to plate, confused. Seeing how red Lee's face was getting from the heat and the amount of sweat running down his forehead, it was obvious that the curry in front of him was the extra, super spicy curry he loved to order. But how could that be? Neji had a low tolderance for anything spicy and yet he had been eating from that plate just moments ago. How could that happen without him fainting from the heat?

He looked down at the plate Lee had exchanged with him and took a bite. He tasted no difference. If he didn't exchanged plates with Lee personally, seeing the whole thing go by with his own eyes, he would have thought it never took place. To him, there was no difference between the mild and the spicy curry. It was the same, with no heat at all.

Something very strange was going on here.

* * *

The next morning, Neji checked himself into the hospital to see if there was anything wrong with him. They checked for everything. Blood tests, numerous scans, everything. It took a couple of hours, but finally, the nurse came into the room with her clipboard. Neji waited for the news.

"You're fine," she said.

"Huh?"

"Just what I said, you're fine." She looked over the papers on the clipboard. "All your tests came back normal or negative. None of the scans showed anything amiss, your blood tests were normal. We found nothing there. Your heart rate is fine, so is your blood pressure. Temperature's normal. You had your last physical a month ago, you're up to date on all your vaccinations. We couldn't find anything wrong with you."

"Oh. I see."

"You sound disappointed. Don't you want good news about your health?"

"No, it's not that," Neji told her. "It's just that… Normally I can't tolerate spicy things of any kind. Last night I was able to eat one of the hottest things on the menu at the curry shop with no ill side effects."

"So you thought there was something wrong with you?"

"Well… yeah."

The nurse shook her head with a smile. "Consider it a good thing. Sometimes tastes can change. Like when you're little and you love sweet things but when you get older you can't stand them. You are still growing, you know."

"So you're calling this a part of puberty?" he asked with a raised brow.

"Not entirely," she chuckled. "I'm just saying that it's nothing for you to worry about."

With nothing apparently wrong with him, Neji was discharged and sent on his way.

Outside the hospital, Neji ran into Tenten who was coming from the left side of the street and moving toward the shops. "Hi, Neji," she greeted him.

"Hi."

She looked him up and down with a smile. "Well, you seem less grouchy than you did the other day. Feeling better, I take it?"

"Yeah, I just needed some sleep was all. I feel a lot better." Neji remembered his behavior on the mission and felt the need to say something. "I'm sorry for how I acted on the mission. I've just been stressed a lot lately and didn't get a lot of sleep prior to leaving and on the mission itself."

"No problem. I knew it all along. You're not that big a jerk," she teased him.

He gave a weak grin. They walked together into the shopping area of the village. Neji picked up on all the smells mixing together in the air. He smelled bread baking and meat grilling, fried soba noodles and so much else. It made his stomach growl.

"Haven't you eaten yet?" Tenten asked, hearing his stomach.

"I did but I suppose I'm hungry again." He felt around for his wallet only to discover that he had left it back home. "Not that I could buy anything. I'll just eat at home when I get the chance."

"That's ok. I can always treat you." Tenten reached for her wallet. Her smile faded. "Never mind."

"You forgot yours, too, didn't you?"

She laughed sheepishly.

Then her laugh mixed with another's. He looked. Naruto was sitting at his favorite ramen shop, joking with the cook as he handed him his third bowl. "I should apologize to Naruto when I get the chance. I did snap at him a lot on the mission. I overreacted."

"Hey, maybe if we're lucky, he'll treat us to some ramen." Tenten started walking and Neji followed. They stood on either side of Naruto and sat down on the padded stools. "Hey, what's up, Naruto?"

He looked up, noodles hanging from his lips. "Oh, hey, guys! You hungry?"

"Yeah, but we forgot our wallets."

"No problem. This one's on me."

"Awesome. Thanks, Naruto." Tenten was already placing her order.

Now was as good a time as any. Neji cleared his throat. "Listen, Naruto… I wanted to say I was sorry for snapping at you so much on the mission. I let my grumpiness get the better of me, I suppose."

"Aw, that's alright. I was pretty annoying. Even I'll admit that." Naruto nudged him with his elbow. "Go on, order something. My treat."

He got over things quickly. Neji placed his order and soon all three of them were enjoying their ramen. Neji was almost done with his before the steam didn't have a chance to dissipate. Strange. Why didn't he feel its burn? The broth alone must have been hot but he didn't feel a thing.

Someone ran up behind them and tapped Tenten and Neji on the shoulder. It was Lee. "Guys, Gai sensei has scheduled training for today."

"Right now?"

"Yes. We have to go."

Sighing, Tenten thanked Naruto for the meal and got up. Neji finished off the rest of his broth and followed his team toward the training grounds.

Neji hated having to run after a big meal. He always felt slower after he ate. But Gai couldn't wait. They moved quickly toward the training ground, leaping through the trees. They jumped from branch to branch. Lee and Tenten were ahead of him, but this wasn't a race. He was going to use a lot of energy during training so why burn all of it racing to get there?

He landed on a branch that bounced under his weight, he quickly jumped from it and landed on another. He had to keep up his speed if he expected to make it to the next branch, which was further away. He jumped. He saw the branch sail under him as he overshot the jump. But he didn't crash. He kept going. The entire tree passed underneath him. Neji turned to looked behind him. This was an impossible jump. In one leap he had cleared almost six trees. And he wasn't descending. He was getting higher off the ground.

"Wh- what the hell's going on?!"

His body felt so light. It was as if gravity had been reversed on him. The ground was getting further and further away. He was high above the trees now and climbing.

"What the hell is this?" He couldn't make sense of it. It was like a bad dream. He wanted to get down. His body had slowed, now hovering above the trees. He wasn't moving. Why was he still in the air like this? It was as if some higher force had picked him up and was holding him in midair. "St- stop! Stop!" He wanted to get down.

He got his wish. Suddenly, he dropped from the sky, falling through the trees, hitting each branch on his way down. He landed in a heap on the ground, spitting out leaves and bark. He pulled a twig out of his hair and looked at the faces staring back at him.

"What happened?" asked Tenten.

"Uh… nothing. Lost my footing." He didn't want to tell them what he had just witnessed. It was too bizarre.

"Ok!" Gai clapped his hands together. "Let's warm up a little. Lee, come with me!"

"Yes, sir!"

Tenten pulled a scroll out of her pocket, unraveling it. She was without her large scroll so this would have to do. "I guess it's just us, Neji. Up for a little target practice?"

"Alright." Neji got into position. This was their version of target practice. Tenten would pelt him with weapons while he tried to deflect them. Though she never missed, Neji was always without a scratch.

Tenten started to summon her arsenal. "Ready? And… go!" She threw her weapons straight at Neji who started spinning.

"Rotati- Ahh!" Neji fell to one knee holding his shoulder.

Tenten stopped and came over to him. "Are you ok? What happened?"

Neji pulled his hand away from his shoulder, his palm stained red. The right sleeve of his shirt had been cut and there was blood oozing from his shoulder. Tenten looked at the gash.

"It doesn't look too deep. What happened? Usually I can never land a hit on you when you use that technique."

Neji was just as baffled as she was. He had done the rotation technique a million times. This was a first. "Maybe… I just lost my footing. That must be it." He stood up, ignoring his wound. "Do it again."

"I don't know. I'll be aiming at your head and I never miss. What if you screw up again?"

He shot her a look. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't mean it like that. Maybe we should start out slower?"

"No, let's keep it where it is. Start over and come at me like you mean it." Neji took his position again. Tenten chucked weapon after weapon at him. Neji spun, and he was hit. Again and again and again. Weapon after weapon hit him. He couldn't deflect any of them. For some reason, his rotation wasn't working.

"Let's do something else," Tenten said, rolling up her scroll. She went easy on him so he wouldn't get cut too badly, but he was still covered in scratches and his clothes were torn to shreds.

At this point, Neji had to agree. But now he was worried. This was the first time his rotation hadn't worked for him. He had perfected it years ago. Why now all of a sudden?

"Alright. Let's move on and come back to it later." Neji closed his eyes and opened them again. "Byakugan!"

The image of the forest and the surrounding area did not change. Neither did the confused look on Tenten's face. His vision did not change. It remained the same. He tried it again. For the second time, nothing changed. The veins did not bulge beside his eyes and his vision did not change.

"Byakugan!" Still nothing. Neji's heart began to race. "Byakugan! Byakugan!" He stood panting. His body began to shake and he started to sweat.

"Neji..?" Tenten walked up behind him and put her hand on his trembling shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

He was starting to panic. "I… I can't use the Byakugan… Tenten, I can't use the Byakugan!" He had been able to use it all his life. It was so basic. Everyone in the Hyuga clan could use it. He had been using it since he was a toddler. And now…

Neji pushed Tenten out of the way and walked from one tree to another, trying to keep calm. Why couldn't he use it? What else couldn't he do anymore?

He stopped pacing and performed a hand sign. "Transform!" A simple transformation jutsu was so basic. Even students at the academy could use it. But alas, nothing happened. "Uh… Shadow clone jutsu!" Again, nothing. Neither did a substitution justu or any of the other jutsus he knew. Nothing happened. He looked around in a panic. Nothing was working.

"Neji?"

He turned and rushed at Tenten. She stood perfectly still. He was coming right at her, raising his hand. She didn't move. "Gentle Fist!" He gave her a few quick jabs, doing it blindly because of the lack of a working Byakugan. He stepped back and waited, looking at her expectantly.

She rubbed her arm. "Ow…"

His shoulders slumped, his jaw dropping. He gave a quivering gasp and fell to his knees.

"Neji? What is it? What's wrong?" Tenten put her arms around his shoulders. He was shaking.

"I…" His voice was shaking. "I… I can't use any jutsu… Nothing… I… I can't do anything anymore… Nothing… I have nothing…"

Something was terribly wrong.

* * *

This is going to get worse before it gets better, isn't it?

Please read on! It gets better for us, at least!

Please review! ^-^


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Neji ditched training and checked himself back into the hospital. Rather than receive understanding, sympathy or at the very least concern, he was greeted with looks of annoyance. He demanded more tests be done. The doctors must have missed something. This simply was not normal. The hospital staff obliged and ran a few tests, but not as many as they had done that morning. They took another blood test and checked all his vital signs. They checked his temperature twice, they took hair samples, skin samples, even his saliva. They checked him inside and out.

He waited in the doctor's office for nearly an hour, awaiting the results. A nurse came in and gave him some bad news. "We couldn't find a single thing wrong with you. You're fine."

"No, I'm not! I can't be! Check again!"

This nurse wasn't sympathetic at all. She looked very annoyed and treated Neji as if he were wasting her time. "Look, we've done all the tests. We've run several twice now, if not more. Everything checks out. You're in perfect health. Each one of your tests have either come back negative or right where it should be."

"Check again. Do another test."

"We're not taking anymore of your blood. You fasted the other night in preparation for the tests we ran this morning and then again today after a meal. The results are where they should be. Is there something so wrong about you being healthy?"

"But I'm not," Neji told her, almost pleading. "I cannot use my Byakugan anymore. Or any jutsu for that matter. Something has to be wrong with me."

"Your chakra levels are fine, too. We've done several tests on those, too."

"Please… Please, check again. There has to be a reason for this."

The nurse sighed and put the clipboard on the counter. "Have you ever considered that this isn't a physical thing?"

"Are you saying that this is all in my head? Impossible."

"This could be due to stress. Maybe this is a psychological issue. Which isn't our department, I'm afraid." She wrote something down on a small pink piece of paper and handed it to Neji. "Give this to the woman in check-out. And try to take it easy. I'm telling you, there's nothing wrong with you. The only thing I can come up with which I haven't mentioned before is the strong possibility of you being a hypochondriac."

Neji crumpled the piece of paper in his fist. This was not imaginary. He knew something was wrong. But nothing showed up on their tests. The only logical solution was that there wasn't anything wrong with him after all. Then why couldn't he use any ninja arts? Maybe it was due to stress.

Neji left the hospital in a sour mood. He was so distracted that he didn't notice Naruto coming his way and bumped into him. "Watch it, Neji. You almost trampled me."

"Oh. Sorry."

Naruto peered into his face. "What's got you so bummed out?"

Neji looked at the ground, beside himself. "Well… I just came from the hospital. Twice in one day."

"You alright?"

"According to them I am. But I'm not so sure. The test results say I'm fine, but something's wrong. I can't perform jutsu anymore. Not even the Byakugan is working and I've been able to use that since I was a toddler. The tests say my chakra levels are fine."

"Then you must be ok."

"Then why can't I do anything?" Neji's voice started to shake. "Something has to be wrong with me. This has never happened before!"

"What did the doctors say?"

Neji thought back. "Well, the nurse said it could all be in my head, brought on by stress."

"Then maybe that's it." Naruto was smiling, which did nothing to quell Neji's frustration. Perhaps Naruto was being optimistic. Or maybe he was just trying to help Neji calm down and see that there truly was nothing to worry about. "You have been stressed lately and that puts you in a bad mood. Maybe this is stress related and it's started to effect your body."

"… That is possible."

"Then don't worry about it." Naruto slapped Neji on the shoulder. "Just go home, get a good night's sleep and try not to think about it. It's probably just in your head."

"I suppose…" Neji decided to take Naruto's word for it and agreed. He went back home and meditated on the topic. He tried to clear his mind and rid himself of all his stress and negative emotions and thoughts. After that he made himself a quick dinner and relaxed. He kept telling himself that everything would be fine. He took a hot shower and went straight to bed. Who knew? By morning, this would thing could pass and he would be fine.

* * *

At last, Neji got a great night's sleep. For the first time in a long while, he got to sleep in. It felt great to be able to do that. He stretched out in bed, sprawling out so he took up the whole mattress. This looked like it was going to be a good morning. He sat up and scratched an inch he had on the back of his neck. His fingers brushed just under his ear and his leg jerked. It felt good so he scratched behind his ear deliberately. His leg jerked again and his back arched. What a pleasant feeling. He never experienced that before. He stopped after a minute and gave his head a shake.

"I must be ticklish there or something," he thought aloud to himself.

He got out of bed and went into the bathroom. He looked at his reflection in the mirror. His hair was slightly messy but not too bad. Neji started to take off his shirt, changing into his usual outfit. He tossed his shirt in the basket by the sink and reached out to grab a clean shirt with his left hand.

He froze. His eyes widened. He pulled away from the shirt and stared at his left hand. It was very different from last night. His hand was covered in scales from his fingertips, past his elbow, almost reaching his shoulder.

Maybe this wasn't what he thought. It could have been anything. Maybe a skin rash of some sort, or dried drool forming a strange pattern on his flesh. Even more likely was the possibility of him sleeping on his arm through the night and getting this pattern from the sheets pressing into him. Just to be sure, Neji dunked his hand into the sink and scrubbed it, hoping to clean off whatever this was. No matter how much he bathed his arm or how hard he scrubbed, the pattern would not go away.

"What the hell is this?" Neji dried his arm with a towel and ran his hand over the skin cautiously. These were scales. His arm felt like the body of a boa constrictor. He tried to keep his head and think. This was no time to panic.

Regardless, Neji's body was already in motion. He threw on a shirt and was out of his house in a flash. Though his mind was still trying to sort out a solution to the problem, his body was bringing him back to the hospital. By the time he realized what was happening, he was on the ground, another body laying nearby. He didn't feel the hit his mind was so far away. A second later, Naruto sat up on the ground with a growl.

"Would you stop bumping into me like that? What's up with you, Neji?"

He stood up. "There's something really wrong with me." His hands were shaking.

"I thought we agreed that it's all in your head, like those doctors said to you."

In his rage, Neji rolled up his sleeve, showing his left arm off to Naruto. "Is this in my head? Huh?! Take a look at this and tell me I'm imagining things!"

Naruto's jaw dropped at the sight of Neji's arm. "What the hell is that?"

"They're scales. I have scales. I told you something was wrong with me."

Naruto's head moved from side to side, looking around in a panic. "Well… th- then we've got to get you to the hospital and…"

"That won't do any good." Neji grabbed Naruto's arm with his other hand. "I was there twice in twenty-four hours and they found nothing. This is no ordinary illness. This is something else. I can't go back there. The looks they gave me before… They don't think anything's wrong. They don't believe me, thinking it's all in my head. They'll throw me out."

"Not if we show them that!" Naruto pointed at his arm.

"I'm not going back there. A test would have shown something. This is not normal. This is something else, Naruto."

Naruto stopped pulling and stood still, thinking. "You're right. We'll have to come up with something else." Naruto tried to think. There had to be something. His eyes lit up. "Oh, I know! What about Grandma Tsunade? We'll go to her."

"Why the Hokage?"

"Think about it. She's the best, isn't she? She healed Lee when everyone said that there was nothing that could be done. And she also helped fix up Kakashi sensei and Sasuke that one time. She'll be able to fix you up, no problem."

Neji didn't have to dwell on it long. He knew Naruto was right. "Ok, let's go." Neji pulled his sleeve back over his arm and led the way to the Hokage building.

* * *

Once in her office, Tsunade set to work diagnosing Neji's arm. She pulled back the sleeve and examined it closely, turning his arm this way and that. She poked the skin and had Neji flex the muscles. Then she tried several healing techniques on the arm. They were ineffective. After trying several jutsus on the arm, Tsunade stepped back with a heavy sigh.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what it is. I've never seen anything like it before."

Naruto could see the exact moment Neji's heart hit his stomach and split in two. The pain was written all over his face. There was no hope for him. She couldn't identify what was wrong. "Is there anything you can do? Anything at all, Grandma?"

She looked at Neji's scaly arm thoughtfully. "Hmm…" No one spoke while she thought. "Not at the moment. But I'll do some research on this and see what I come up with. As of right now, I can't tell what it is. But you say that you're unable to perform any ninja arts?"

"That's correct. The Byakugan is lost and so are the other techniques I possess. And now this…" Neji looked at his arm in disgust.

"Does stress have anything to do with it?" Naruto blurted out.

"I doubt it, but I'll take it into consideration." Tsunade moved behind her desk and started to open drawers. "I'll start researching at once. Let me know if there's any change. But the hospital couldn't help you, I understand. This maybe something else, but I have no idea. Aside from those skin marking, I'd say that you were in perfect health."

"That's what the doctors told me. But I knew otherwise."

"You were right to come to me." Tsunade closed a drawer, taking out a chain of keys. "In the meantime, you go back to your home and rest. Don't do anything rash and try not to attempt any ninja arts. Naruto, if Neji needs anything, I want you to help him out. Got it?"

"Yeah, sure, no problem."

Neji bowed his head. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

The two left Tsunade's office just as a woman and a pig came running by with two other ninja. They paid no attention and went on their way. After stepping into the bright light of mid-morning, Neji and Naruto looked at each other, the sunlight glinting off their headbands.

"She said to rest," said Neji slowly. "So I'll go home for the time being and wait for news."

"Sure. Let me know if you need anything." Naruto gave Neji a quick pat on the shoulder and walked off.

Neji returned home and flopped down in bed. He inhaled the scent of his sheets and buried his face in the pillow. He turned his head to the side and looked out his window. He could hear children laughing and running by on the other side of the wall separating his house from the street.

He didn't feel sick. He felt fine. Neji closed his eyes and prayed that this was all a dream he could wake up from. He opened his eyes again and looked at his arm. Still scaly. Sighing, he rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "What is happening to me..?" He shut his eyes again. This had to be curable. This couldn't go on. Tsunade was the best in the business. If anyone could cure this, she could. She had to.

Finally Neji got himself to relax enough to take a little catnap. The sheets were tangled around his body and he felt a little groggy. He stretched before rising and heard a ripping sound. He sat up and looked down. His pillow had been punctured, fluffy cotton and feathers laying in clumps on the bed. The sheets were also torn to shreds.

"What the..?"

Neji stumbled out of bed. His bed was torn. The sheets, the pillow… It looked like something had taken a knife to it. Neji ran straight to the mirror in the bathroom. He took one look at himself and almost screamed.

Two horns were growing out the top of his head. They were curved back almost like a ram's, but they did not spiral. They were small. He reached up with his hand to make sure they were real. His left hand was much worse now. Aside from the scales, now he had claws. The same was true for his right hand. He quickly ripped off his shirt and looked at his reflection. His body was completely covered in scales. Even his face. His ears were pointed as well. He backed away from the mirror in horror, knocking over a table. As he turned, he knocked something else over with a smash. He looked down. He kept hitting something but with what? His feet were in the same place. Something kept sweeping the tiled floor. Looking behind himself without moving his feet, he saw a long scaly tail wagging back and forth.

"Oh, my God! What the hell's happening to me?!"

He had to keep calm and think. He had to think this through and not panic. He made a mental list, going down each thing, one at a time. He had scales, he had claws, and horns and a tail. He could no longer perform any jutsu. The other day, he was able to eat something hot and spicy with no ill effects. And, was he crazy, or did that jump qualify as an attempt at flight? Flying, heat, scales, tail, claws, horns… All of which happened after their visit to that village. Then one with all the legends. And that supposed cursed dragon orb… which he touched.

"Oh, my God…" Neji gasped. "I'm turning into a dragon!"

* * *

Neji threw a shawl over his head and shoulders, making sure his head was covered. The shawl was long enough to cover most of his body, including the tail which was very difficult to control, whipping from side to side as if it had a mind of its own. He had to get help. He left his home and went down the street, keeping his eyes down. He was getting a lot of stares from the people passing by and felt his face heat up with embarrassment. He went into an apartment building and ran up the stairs to a closed wooden door and knocked loudly. This person was his only hope.

"Naruto! Open the door! It's me!" Neji looked down at the tail rubbing against the back of his legs. _What's left of me at least_…

The door opened. Neji didn't waste anytime and pushed Naruto aside, wanting to get inside as soon as possible. "How many times are you going to knock me down?" Naruto complained loudly. "What's wrong?"

When the door was shut, Neji lowered his hood. "What's wrong? What do you think? Look at me!"

Naruto's blue eyes went straight to the horns on Neji's head and his mouth fell open. "Holy crap! What happened to you?"

"It's getting worse!" Neji threw off the shawl and tossed it aside, showing off his scale-covered body and his new tail. "Look at me! Naruto, I'm turning into a dragon!"

"Cool!" The blond's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Not cool!" Neji shouted at him. "I'm turning into a dragon! What's so cool about that?"

"Tons!" Naruto looked very pleased with this transformation and walked around Neji in a full circle. He looked at him from every angle, nodding his head with a big smile. "This is so cool. You're turning into a dragon. That's pretty awesome."

"Name one good thing about this!"

Naruto picked the first thing that came to mind. "You can breathe fire. That's pretty sweet."

"Yeah. Breathing fire…" Neji growled. Then he raised his voice. "I'd be able to do that with the Fireball Jutsu! I'd trade this for that!" Neji's tail knocked over a stack of scrolls Naruto had on a small table. Neji watched them fall and unravel on the floor. Seeing those ninja scrolls reminded him of his curse. "I can't perform jutsu anymore… I have nothing. Even if I were able to use the Fireball Jutsu, I couldn't like this…"

Naruto saw the look of pain on Neji's face and his smile faded away. Neji was really upset by this. "Well… think of the bright side. There's always a positive."

"Like what?" Neji grumbled.

"Like… uh… Oh, I know! Dragons are very powerful, right? You'll be super strong now."

"I was a strong and capable ninja, too. And a human one at that. And without being able to use jutsu, what kind of ninja can I be?"

"Um… Dragon's can fly. There's no jutsu that can let you do that. That's got to be pretty sweet. See? There's a plus side."

Neji bit his lip, his eyes fixed on the ground. Naruto couldn't read his expression, but he knew Neji wasn't feeling any better. "This…" he said slowly. "This is going to get worse before it gets better. An hour ago, I didn't have all this."

Naruto looked at the claws and horn Neji had acquired and gave a little shrug. "They look cool, though."

Neji raised his head, glaring daggers into Naruto's eyes. "This is all your fault!" he boomed.

"What? My fault?"

"Yes, your fault! You're the one who knocked over that orb! If it wasn't for that, I never would have touched it. It's all because of that stupid orb from that village that I'm like this!"

"Hey, it's not my fault! You're the one who took me in there!"

"Only because you were carrying on like a child! If it weren't..!"

"Wait a minute! I never told you to take me there! And besides, this never would have happened if all those villagers hadn't told me those stories in the first place!"

"You didn't have to believe them like an idiot!" Neji's tail whipped out and knocked over a chair.

"You don't have to throw a fit over it!" Naruto shouted back.

"I'm not throwing a fit! I'm pissed off and under a hell of a lot of stress now because of you!" His tail knocked over another chair. Then a table.

"Would you stop that?!" Naruto spat.

"I can't help it! I have no control over what it does! I've never had a tail before!" Neji bent down to pick up the chair and ended up knocking over a lamp with his tail. When he turned around, his tail narrowly missed Naruto's head. "Sorry."

"It's alright." The two had finished their yelling and started to clean up the fallen objects. "Well, what should we do about this?"

"I want you to go to the Hokage and tell her about this. Tell her I have new symptoms and I need help at once."

"Why didn't you go there yourself?"

"I panicked."

Naruto picked up the scrolls and set them back on the table. "Then come with me now."

"No way!" Neji said, spinning around and knocking over the chair he had just set up. "I'm not going outside looking like this!"

"Then how'd you get here in the first place?"

"I was covered then. And I still got looks from people. I don't want everyone in the village to think I'm some sort of monster."

"So you want me to go and tell her myself? And then what?"

"I don't know! Just… Just see if you can get her to come over here and help somehow. I don't care, just do something!" Neji's tail hit the table again, pushing it across the room and knocking over two chairs this time. He turned his head to look behind his back. His tail had grown longer. Before the tip just barely touched the ground, now almost half of it was resting on the floor. Neji bit his lip and felt a sharp pain. Running his tongue over his teeth, he realized he was starting to grow fangs. "Oh, we have to hurry, Naruto. I'm getting worse by the minute."

There was a loud growling sound. The two looked and Neji's stomach.

"Did you have anything to eat before you came over here?" Naruto asked him.

"How can I possibly think of food at a time like this?! I can't even hold chopsticks with these hands…" He held up his clawed hands with a frown.

Naruto rolled his eyes and went into the kitchen. "No wonder you're in such a bad mood…"

"I seriously doubt that's the reason I'm upset given the circumstances…"

"Still, starving yourself isn't going to help anybody." Naruto pulled something out of the fridge and held it up. It was something other than ramen for a change. He held out a sausage for Neji to take.

Neji looked down at it and up at Naruto. "Really?" He was answered with a nod. With a sigh, Neji tried to grab it but he was having trouble controlling his new claws and kept dropping it. "I can't do this. I can't pick it up with my claws and I don't want to grab it with my hands and get all greasy."

"Then here." Naruto hovered it in front of Neji's mouth as if he were feeding an animal.

"You cannot be serious."

"Just do it."

"This is so embarrassing..!"

"Then get it over with and eat it already. Now who's being a baby?"

Sucking it up, Neji leaned forward and ate the sausage out of Naruto's hand. It wasn't as greasy as he thought it would be and liked the taste of it. The red chunks of spice didn't bother him at all.

Naruto gave him a satisfied nod and set a plate of them down on the table for him to eat. "There's more here if you want. That should keep you busy while I'm gone." He noticed the look of discomfort on Neji's face. "What's the matter now?"

"I have an itch on my neck but I'm afraid to scratch it." He held up his hand. "My claws…" He tried rubbing his shoulder against his neck but it wasn't working.

"Is it your scales that are bothering you?" Naruto reached out and touched his neck. "Here? Is this it?" He scratched his neck.

"I can do it myself. I don't need you…" Naruto scratched higher and Neji's leg jerked. "D- don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Naruto saw his leg move. "What was that?"

"I have no idea. I think it's a reflex. My leg sometimes jerks when I scratch that area."

Naruto grined mischievously at him. "You mean like this?" Naruto started to scratch his jaw line, his nails scratching behind his ear and the back of his jawbone. Neji's leg started to kick and he gave a loud purring sound, his eyes rolling back in his head. Naruto laughed and kept it up. Neji was loving this.

"St-stop that!" Neji slapped his hand away. "Knock it off!"

"Ah, come on. You were liking it and you know it."

"But I'm not supposed to. I'm not a dog!"

"No, but you are a dragon."

"Just get the Hokage over here as fast as you can! Hurry up about it."

"Ok, ok, jeez…" Naruto started to walk away. "Help yourself to the food I left out for you."

Neji stood in front of the table, staring at the sausages on the plate. Then he looked at Naruto who was putting on his shoes by the door. "How am I supposed to eat this if I..?"

"How should I know? Figure it out." Naruto opened the door. "Ok, I'll see you in a bit. I'll be back as soon as I can." He closed the door and was off.

Neji looked back at the plate and tried to sit in a chair. His tail made it impossible. So he stood in front of the table instead and leaned forward. "I must look every bit as ridiculous as I feel…" Neji hovered his face over the plate and started to eat from it like a dog. "This is so humiliating… Naruto better get back here soon with help. I want to be rid of this as soon as possible…"

* * *

Naruto ran straight to the Hokage building and up the stairs. Neji was getting much worse and he was scared. Though Naruto didn't think it was a big deal, he knew there must have been a reason why Neji was so upset about it. Then a thought occurred to him that this may have been incurable once the transformation was complete. Who knew how much worse this was going to get? What if his body couldn't take the change and he ended up dead? Neji did have reason to fear if that were the case. This was a complete unknown to them. No one knew what would happen. He had to get help.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he noticed a small crowd of ninja down the curved hallway. He couldn't see how many there were, but he knew something was up if so many were gathered in one location. He hurried forward and was stopped. One of the ninja held out his arm, blocking him.

"Hold on there, Naruto. You can't go here."

"But I have to see Grandma Tsunade. It's really important."

"You can't go past here right now. We're in the middle of something."

"But I have to! Please let me go through. I have to speak to Grandma Tsunade right now!"

Another ninja spoke up. "That's impossible right now. She's not here."

"What?" Naruto backed away and the other man dropped his arm. "Why not? Where is she?"

"We can't tell you that. She's seeing to an emergency and can't be bothered."

"That's right," said the other. "No one can see her now. You'll have to wait."

"That'll take too long! I have to see her now! I have an emergency of my own."

"I'm sorry, Naruto. But it'll have to wait."

Naruto tried to force his way through to get to her office. The two men held him back. The other ninja behind them gathered around just in case he broke through. "Please!" Naruto begged. "I have to see her right now! She told me to report something to her."

"It's going to have to wait." They shoved him back. Naruto staggered but kept his footing. "I'm sorry, but Lady Tsunade cannot be bothered right now. Come back later."

"I have to see her now!"

"We're in the middle of a situation. Understand that not everything can be done your way, Naruto. Now move along. Don't make this harder on yourself than it has to be."

There was nothing that he could do. These people were not about to let him through. No amount of begging was going to change that. Clenching his fists, Naruto turned and left. He was helpless. They wouldn't let him see the Hokage. Outside, Naruto turned and looked at the outside of the building. He could see her window from where he stood but couldn't see anyone inside. He was beginning to wonder if she was even in there. He tried to see if there was another way he could get inside. He could always climb up and break through the window and get into her office that way. No, that would have to wait until later, as a last resort. Right now he would have to go back and tell Neji the news. He wasn't going to be happy about it.

"Hey, Naruto."

He turned and saw Sakura walking away from the library carrying a load of books in her arms. "Hey, Sakura. What's up?" He brightened up when he saw her.

"I have that book you said you wanted to borrow."

He wrinkled his nose. "A book?"

"Yeah, it had that jutsu information you wanted in it. Remember? You asked about it a couple days ago."

"Well, yeah, but I thought you'd just show me or something. I didn't know you expected me to read about it."

"You'll get more information if you do." Sakura adjusted the pile in her arms. "I'll stop by in a minute after I drop these off. Is that ok?"

"Sure that's fine. I'll be home. See you later." Naruto hurried back to his home to report to Neji. He opened the door and went inside. He tossed his shoes aside and walked across the room. There was no sign of Neji anywhere but he heard noises coming from the far room. "Ok, Neji, I have some bad news for you," he called. "They wouldn't let me see Grandma Tsunade to tell her what happened to you. I was stopped."

"We've got bigger problems!" Neji's voice boomed from the other room. His voice sounded different, like he had a frog in his throat.

Naruto moved into the next room and saw it in shambles. A desk had been broken in two and a chair lay in pieces by his feet. A blanket was torn and left carelessly on the floor. Empty cartons of instant ramen, which Naruto had left in a pile in the corner, now littered the floor. Scrolls and what few books he had where tossed in every direction. Then he saw Neji, huddled by the balcony door, his body hiding behind a pile of dirty laundry and an overturned loveseat. Though, it didn't cover much of his body.

"Holy crap!" Naruto screamed when he saw him. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Neji's body was now much, much larger and his scales had become even more pronounced, even taking on a different color. His entire body was covered in gray scales and his horns had grown even larger. His tail was now roughly the same length as his body, which no longer looked human. His body was long and serpent-like. He looked like a lizard. Even his face had changed, becoming more reptilian. The only things which remained to indicate that he was still Neji were his Hyuga eyes and the long mane going down his back and to the tip of his tail which was the same shade as his normal human hair. Poking out from under his bangs in the center of his forehead was a round orb.

"I'm getting worse!" he bellowed, his head scraping the ceiling. "I can't stop growing and I can't do anything about this! I can't help it! I just started changing and…"

"It's only been a few minutes."

"I know that! It's a rapid change!" Neji bent his long neck to avoid hitting the ceiling again. "I don't know how much bigger I'll get. I can't take much more of this. What did Lady Tsunade say?"

Naruto got over his shock quickly and answered him bluntly. "If you had been listening to me at all, you'd know that I said that I couldn't see her. They wouldn't let me in."

"What?! Did you tell them that it was an emergency?"

"Yeah, they still wouldn't let me in to see her. Said she was busy."

Neji's tail hit a shelf and knocked it off the wall. More empty ramen containers fell to the ground and dust was shaken from the poorly kept upper shelves. "You have to go back. I'm getting worse by the second."

"But they won't let me in. What do you want me to do?"

"I don't care! Anything!" Neji's horns poked large holes in the wall behind him. He pulled them free, taking part of the wall with him. "I don't care at this point. Whatever you do, do it fast! I need help! Just get her! Please!"

He was really scared. This new body was impossible to control and getting bigger by the second. This was getting much worse. He needed help.

"Ok." Naruto knew what had to be done. "Ok, got it. I'll go back there and bring Grandma Tsunade here. I'll be back soon. Just hang in there a little longer, Neji. I'll get help. Just stay there and wait for me." He was in such a hurry, he forgot to close the door behind himself on his way out.

"No problem with that!" Neji called after him. He could barely move.

Naruto ran down the street as fast as he could. He wanted to bring Neji with him to show everyone that he did have an emergency on his hands, but there were too many problems with that plan. Neji was too big and probably couldn't leave the apartment. He was having trouble controlling his limbs so he may not have been able to walk. Not only that, but Neji didn't want anyone to see him like this. There was no hiding him under a blanket now. He was much too big. The sight of him may cause everyone on the streets to go into a panic. The best thing Naruto could do was get Tsunade and bring her back to his apartment to see him with her own eyes.

Now he just had to get inside. It wasn't going to be easy, but he wasn't going to give up. As soon as the building was in his sights, he put his hasty plan into action. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Two dozen clones popped out of nowhere and followed Naruto on either side. They knew what to do. Half went in the main entrance and into the hallway where all those ninja were standing around guarding her office. The other half went a different way with Naruto and helped him scale the side of the building, shattering the window and diving inside. His clones popped, leaving him all alone in a dark office.

"What the..?" There was no one here. Her office was empty. "Where is everyone?"

The door banged open and in came the ninja who tried to stop him before.

"Uh… Hi." Naruto waved nervously.

* * *

Sakura climbed the stairs to Naruto's apartment to drop off the book she promised him. She should have given it to him when she saw him but he looked like he was in a hurry and her hands were full. She went to his door only to find it open. Strange. Even if he was expecting her, he never left the door open. She knocked anyway. "Hello? Naruto? You home?" He must have been if the door was open. He knew she was coming and he even said that he would be home. "I'm coming in!"

As soon as she stepped foot inside, she knew something was wrong. Naruto was always a slob, but this was a different kind of mess. There was broken furniture and debris everywhere. Empty containers were everywhere she stepped, which Naruto normally kept in stacks against the wall or in a corner somewhere. There were even torn garments on the floor and a ripped blanket. She moved into the back room which was just as bad as the rest of the rooms.

"Hello? Naruto? Are you here?"

It looked like there was some sort of struggle. Was he attacked? What happened? Something moved and she looked up. Some large mass hiding behind an overturned couch and clothes lifted its head. It looked like a lizard monster. Sakura gasped and backed up into Naruto's dresser, shaking piles of clothes onto her shoulders and to the floor.

Neji blinked. He was expecting to see Naruto return with help, but not so soon. When he saw Sakura, he was very surprised. Naruto wasn't with her which meant that she had come here on her own. The look of horror on her face was what he was trying to avoid from the other villagers which was why he didn't want to be seen in public looking like this.

"Wh-what… is that thing..?" Sakura choked out, looking Neji up and down. She saw the torn clothing, the broken belongings and the holes and claw marks in the walls coupled with the open door and no sign of Naruto and started to put things together in her mind. It looked like there was a struggle. This thing was here and Naruto was not. He told her that he would be home and wanted her to come over. This was either a very elaborate prank or… "What are you?"

Neji lifted his head further off the ground, but didn't stand. He was far too big and might end up hurting her.

"What are you?" she asked again, shaking. "What are you doing here?"

He opened his mouth to answer. All that came out was a growl. He blinked. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Rrraaaugh… Raaah… Rererrrr..!" He couldn't speak.

Sakura clenched her fists tightly. "What did you do to this place? Where is Naruto? What have you done with Naruto?"

He tried to answer again but all that came out were growls. He had lost his ability to speak. He couldn't communicate.

Taking his growls as threats, Sakura raised her fist. "Take this!" She charged and threw a punch at him. Neji jumped to his feet and backed away from her fist, crashing through the door behind him and rolling onto the balcony. Sakura followed him with a growl of her own. "Cha!"

_No! No! It's me, Neji! Don't! _He couldn't convey what he wanted. All he could manage were growls and roars. Sakura's punch shattered the railing. Neji managed to move in time, but his body was still difficult to control. He wouldn't be able to dodge her for long. Unable to tell her what was happening, his best bet was to run away from her and hope Naruto would come back soon with help.

"You're not getting away!" Sakura threw another punch at him. Neji backed up as far as he could go. The punch hit the ground near his feet. It loosened the balcony just enough and the two fell over the edge. Neji roared and tried to land on his feet. He landed on his shoulder and tumbled, Sakura landing on her feet right beside him. "Get back here, you freak!"

Neji rolled onto his feet and backed away from her, lowering his body, trying to show her that he meant no harm. She wasn't getting the message. She kept trying to attack him.

At that same moment, Naruto was coming back home to give Neji more bad news. Tsunade wasn't there. The other ninja wouldn't tell him where she went or why, even while they were pounding him for breaking in. They threw him out of the building and threatened to lock him up if he tried to come back, regardless of the reason. He saw rubble fall from what looked like his apartment and squinted. There was a girl with pink hair challenging something that looked like a large snake with horns. "Neji! Sakura!" He ran forward.

Neji dodge another one of her blows. He tried to look as submissive as possible, but she wan't getting it. He tried laying down and playing dead, but she just thought of it as an easier target and punched anyway. Neji's tail whipped the side of a building, knocking bricks loose from their mold. He didn't want to fight. But he couldn't get her to listen either. He was running out of options.

Sakura took aim at Neji's head and pulled her fist back. "Hyah… cha!"

"No! Sakura, wait! Stop!" Naruto reached out and grabbed Sakura's arm in the middle of her punch. It took his full weight to stop her.

She turned around and looked surprised and relieved to see him. "Naruto? You're ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I found this thing in your room. The whole place is in shambles."

"Yeah, I know, but…" Naruto looked around. "What now?"

Neji had noticed it, too. Several Jonin had surrounded him, looking worried and scared. The other vilagers had pulled each other into buildings, hiding themselves while others fled the area.

"What is that thing?" asked one Jonin.

"How did it get here?"

"Do you think it was summoned?"

"It matches the description."

"You mean that's..?"

"Get it! Bring it down!"

Neji's eyes went wide and he backed up looking fearful.

"No, don't!" Naruto ran forward and jumped in front of Neji. "Don't attack him! It's just Neji!" He turned to the dragon. "Why don't you tell them who you are?"

Neji responded with growls, varying in pitch. He was speaking, just not in a language he could understand.

"You… you can't talk anymore?"

Neji gave a low moan, telling Naruto it was true. He couldn't speak. He had no way of telling them who he was. There was no proof. Unable to speak or use any ninja arts and with his body looking like this, there was no way he could prove it. They would have to take his word for it.

"Out of the way, Naruto!"

"Move it! Get out of there!"

"No!" Naruto stood his ground and would not budge. "You don't understand. It's Neji. You can't-"

One of the Jonin grabbed him and pulled him out if the way. While he held him down, the others attacked. They summoned chains and ropes and started to throw them at Neji. The chains hooked onto his horns and he was pulled down. He pulled his head up, taking the chains out of their hands. He backed away, trying to show that he meant them no harm. They started to throw kunai at him. Neji flinched, but the knives bounced off his scales, leaving no mark. The scales were very protective. They threw more weapons at him, all of which did no damage to him.

"Stop it! Don't hurt him! It's just Neji! Listen to me!" Naruto pulled against the man's arms, trying to get to Neji. "Just stop it!"

They wrapped ropes and chains around Neji's body, trying to restrain him. They went for his legs, trying to get him off balance. They tried to tie his mouth shut. Some men grabbed his tail, trying to keep it from moving. They blasted him with Ninjutsu, giving him everything they had. Neji roared and reared up on his back legs, trying to cut the ropes with his claws. They were going to kill him. They were really trying to bring him down. There was no way he could explain himself. No fair trial. He was going to be executed if he stayed here any longer. He had to get away before they killed him.

"Leave him alone!" Naruto screamed. "How many times do I have to tell you?! It's Neji! Leave him alone! Stop it!" He pulled himself into the man's grip and stepped on the back of his knee, forcing him to kneel and then onto his side. Naruto pulled free and started to cut the ropes binding Neji. The men pulling fell back into each other. Naruto tried the same with the chain, but they were much harder.

"Get off, Naruto! Stop it!" they yelled but he didn't listen. He freed Neji from one of the chains, but when he started on the next, he was jumped from behind by two men. They wrestled him to the ground and held him down. He kicked back. They held his hands, keeping him from performing a hand sign. "Stay down, Naruto! Stay down!"

"Get off me! Leave Neji alone!"

Neji bucked and pulled himself free from the chains. He reached into the crowd and pulled Naruto out with his teeth. He needed him. He was the only one who knew his situation and could help. Naruto was bound to be restrained for helping him escape anyway. Neji needed Naruto with him if he expected to be helped. Aside from all that, there was something telling him that he needed to take Naruto with him. Something inside him was compelling him to help Naruto.

Naruto now freed, Neji, still holding him in his teeth, started running. It was a rough ride for Naruto, dangling from his jaws by the back of his shirt. Neji was still having some trouble controlling all his appendages, but the adrenaline allowed him to ignore any awkwardness and run for the exit. People on the street ducked inside buildings, getting out of his way. His tail kept whipping out, striking anything within reach. He managed to hit one of the Jonin chasing after him, pelting him through a window, he hit a fruit stand, a man with a cart and a man carrying a cake out of the bakery. Neji kept tripping over his legs as he ran. Several Jonin followed them on either side of the street, leaping from roof to roof.

"On your left, Neji!" Naruto warned.

They threw a wired net at him, but Neji somehow managed to dodge it. He saw the gate to the village and picked up speed. The Jonin on the right ran ahead, shouting a warning to the men ahead to close the gate. They started to move the large wooden doors, closing their only means of escape. Neji sped up, running as fast as his legs could carry him. His body wasn't meant for running, his legs short compared to the rest of his body. Naruto shut his eyes as the gate came closer. Neji managed to squeeze through, his tail narrowly avoiding being pinched on the way out. They could hear the men yelling behind them, pursuing them still. Neji's awkward footsteps quickened and then he jumped. Naruto looked down, seeing the ground get further away as they rose into the air.

Naruto gasped, realizing that they were flying. It was very shaking, Neji's body bending and twisting in the air, dipping low and then climbing higher into the sky. Naruto looked behind him out the corner of his eye and saw the village getting further away and disappearing behind the trees. The yells of the ninja below faded away and all was silent except for the wind roaring in his ears as Neji took him far away from their home.

* * *

Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

The wind beat hard against Naruto's cheeks as their flight continued. It was a disorientating ride with many twists and turns and bobbing. Neji was like a bird with a broken wing. There was a ripping sound as Naruto's black and orange jacket began to rip apart in Neji's teeth. He reached up and wrapped his hands around Neji's muzzle to steady himself and take some of the pressure off the threads. He looked straight down and saw the trees coming closer and closer. Naruto lifted his legs, tucking into a ball as Neji fell from the sky.

The branches jabbed Naruto's sides and legs like a cluster of pikes while thicker branches bludgeoned him like bats. He hid his face behind his arms, trying to protect his head and not get his eyes poked out. Then there were loud tearing sounds as Neji's body hit next. His large body broke through the branches with a thunderous crash. They hit every branch on the way down, knocking over one tree on the way before breaking through. They hit the ground hard and tumbled across the forest floor. Naruto was sent flying through the air, landing several yards away from where Neji lay.

Naruto got to his knees, hanging his head down low. There wasn't any blood that he could see. He counted his teeth and his limbs. Everything was accounted for. His clothes were ripped, but it didn't look too bad. He was sore but nothing appeared to be broken. Turning around, he could see Neji's tail whipping back and forth in the air while he made loud screeching sounds and growls. Thinking he was injured, Naruto hurried over.

Neji's long body was tangled up in branches and broken trees. He kept kicking, trying to right himself and get the branches off his body. Naruto stepped forward and put his hand on a fallen branch pinning Neji on his back. "Hang on, Neji. Hang on a sec." He kept bucking and screeching. "I said hang on! Wait a minute, would you? Hang on, hang on…"

With great effort, Naruto managed to pushed the large branches off Neji's body, allowing him to roll onto his stomach and brush the fallen twigs and leaves off his scales with his tail. He seemed unharmed, just shaken up. Naruto looked around at the clearing they had just created.

"Whoa… rough landing." Naruto dusted himself off. He gave Neji a small grin. "That's ok. You'll get better at it."

"Rrrraaaaugh!" Neji growled loudly, shooting Naruto a dirty look.

"What?" He couldn't understand why Neji looked so upset.

Neji continued to growl at him, trying to convey a message to him. Then Naruto understood what he had implied by telling Neji that he would improve in his flight skills. He was implying that Neji would stay a dragon for a while and had better get used to it. Neji didn't want to 'get better at it'. He didn't want to be a dragon. He wanted to go back to being a human being. He didn't want this. Naruto's statement wasn't what he wanted to hear. He took it as Naruto telling him that he wasn't going to change back.

Such a thing had never occurred to Naruto before he said it. He didn't think of it as a thoughtless statement. He was actually trying to give Neji some encouragement. Naruto pushed a branch aside with his foot, clearing some space for Neji to move. "You good to stand? You're not hurt, are you?"

Neji stood up and gave his new legs a test, walking a bit closer to where Naruto stood. Now that he was in a standing position, keeping in one spot, Naruto could see just how large Neji had grown. Standing tall on his four legs, Neji's back was just at Naruto's eye level. Neji's long neck gave him even more height, the top of his head touching what few branches remained on the trees around them. He was at least ten feet off the ground; but his neck was curved slightly into an S shape so he may have been even taller than that. Neji's body was coiled behind him making it hard for Naruto to tell how long he was. He was huge alright, that much was for sure.

"Whoa..!" Naruto breathed. "You're huge..!"

Neji looked down at his body and moaned. He wasn't happy with his appearance.

Brushing off the dirt from his knees, Naruto looked off into the distance toward the Leaf Village. He thought of his home and all his friends they had left behind. All those ninja who attacked Neji thinking that he was a monster. "We've got to go back."

"Rurr?" Neji's head lifted in surprise. Then he started shaking his head and growling a rebuttal.

"What?" Naruto asked, seeing Neji's reaction. "We've got to go back sometime. It's our home! We can't just leave it. We'll be accused of being rouge ninja or something. Besides, we need help. We'll just go back there and…"

Neji ran out in front of Naruto, blocking his path. He roared and shook his head from side to side, refusing to go. He was trying to stop Naruto as well. He did not want to go back in this state. He made several growling sounds, trying to reason with Naruto.

"I can't understand a single word you're saying, Neji! I don't speak dragon!"

Neji kept speaking, only slower and softer.

"I told you, I don't understand what you're saying!"

Neji stopped, realizing that everything he was saying went unheard. What good was trying to reason if the person you were speaking with didn't understand the language? He looked down, trying to think of a way he could make Naruto understand. He tried to annunciate, but he was still making growling sounds. No matter how hard he tried, he could not for the life of him speak the human tongue. It was hopeless.

So instead he tried to pantomime. He kept gesturing toward the village and made loud growling noises and scratched the ground with his claws. He bucked his body and roared, trying to make Naruto understand what he was trying to say.

After looking at Neji blankly for a while, Naruto started to understand. "Oh, I get it. Yeah, you're right. If we go back now, they'll probably just attack you again. And they didn't listen to me when I tried to explain what was going on. It's too dangerous to go back now, is that what you're saying?"

Neji nodded with a snort, confirming a 'yes'.

Naruto paced the ground, rubbing his head. "Huh…" Naruto tried to think of a solution. They had to go back sometime. But they couldn't go back now knowing everyone's first reaction. No matter how hard Naruto tried to reason with them and explain, they didn't listen and held him back. They attacked Neji and were probably going to kill him. Going back now was a mistake.

He looked over at Neji who appeared just as lost. The couldn't go back home.

"Ok. Ok, I've got it." Naruto came over to Neji. "We'll give them a day to cool down. We'll go back when everyone's calmed down. Ok?"

Neji seemed to accept this reasoning and nodded.

"Good, we've got a plan." Naruto put his hands on his hips and bent his spine back, grinning. He felt pretty good about coming up with this solution. Then he slumped forward with a moan. "But that means that we have to find some shelter before it gets dark." Naruto looked up at the sky which was already turning an orange color on the horizon. They didn't have much time.

But this wasn't a familiar area to them. They didn't know which way to go. Neji decided to take the lead and pointed Naruto in the direction he wanted to go. They traveled west toward the setting sun. Neji had to constantly duck underneath branches and weave between the trees. It looked like a real pain. Naruto, on the other hand, was having little trouble. The only thing he had to complain about was the uneven earth under his feet and perhaps the twigs that snapped up and scratched his legs when he stepped on them.

Soon they heard a familiar sound and quickened their pace. They followed the sound of running water to a small clearing in the woods. There they found a narrow river jumping with fish and lime colored grass covering a flat patch of earth. Not too far from the river was a rocky hill with an opening. A cave. They moved quickly to inspect the cave. Hopefully there were no bears inside.

The cave was empty and small. They could see the rear of the cave from the entrance. Even though it appeared small, it still had plenty of space to offer the boy and the dragon. Neji went inside first, testing it out. He walked to the rear of the cave, turned around and came back. There was enough room for him to walk without hitting anything. He took a seat by the rock wall and lay down. This would be their shelter for the night.

Naruto ran into the woods quickly and returned with an armful of firewood he had collected. He tossed it down in the center of the cave on a patch of dry earth and stone. There were areas of the cave floor which were moist, but thankfully, most of the cave was dry. Naruto reached into his pocket for a match. Empty. He felt around his other pockets. "Oh, crap."

Neji lifted his head, watching him.

"I left all my stuff back home," he explained. "You grabbed me too fast. I didn't know we were going to be going anywhere so all my stuff's back in my room. My backpack, my sleeping bag, matches… all my supplies. And my frog wallet! Which means I don't have any money on me…" Naruto looked at the wood pile and kicked one of the sticks with his foot. "It also means I have no way to light this-"

A ball of flame shot out into the pile, setting all the sticks ablaze.

"Whoa!" Naruto turned around and saw Neji closing his mouth, a thin wisp of smoke coming from between his lips. "Hey, thanks." Good thing he had a dragon nearby.

The sun had set, tuning the sky a dark blue and purple color. The first of the stars were beginning to arrive. The air had grown colder, but Naruto was nice and warm inside the cave, sitting by the roaring fire. He place another piece of wood onto the fire, stirring up sparks. He held his hands out to the flames, rotating them so his palms would be as warm as the backs of his hands. He closed his eyes, feeling the heat on his cheeks. The second he pulled away from the fire, he grew cold. He needed to be right up against the bonfire in order to keep warm. He wished for a blanket. At the very least his warm sleeping bag which lay on the floor of his room back home. He missed so many things they had left behind. A lot of them would be useful at a time like this.

Behind him lay Neji. Looking out the cave door, watching the sky darkening, Neji had some time to reflect. It had finally hit home. The seriousness of the situation had finally sunk in. The realization of it all made him feel sick to his stomach.

He was a dragon. For so long, he had tried to keep calm and level headed, but now that time had passed and so much had happened to him, Neji started to feel overwhelmed. He reflected on the events that took place. The best doctors in the hospital couldn't find anything wrong with him. After numerous tests which they had done on him several times, everything checked out well. He was fine according to their tests. Even when he was getting worse, they didn't believe that anything was wrong and sent him away. Even the Hokage didn't know what was wrong with him. Not that it mattered since she had disappeared and Naruto was unable to find out where she went. In addition to that, his body had change dramatically. He was unrecognizable. There was no way anyone would ever find out who he really was since he couldn't speak either. He had lost his ability to talk. If he didn't have Naruto with him, there was no way he could explain the situation to anyone. Not that having Naruto around was any better. The people of the village still didn't listen to reason and attacked him, even with Naruto screaming for them to stop, telling them that it was an ally they were attacking. They didn't know who he was. They attacked him. They were going to kill him.

His body transformation was such a dramatic change. He was too big to fit in his house anymore. Even if he could return to his home, how was he supposed to live? He broke everything he touched. He was too big! He would have to live outside like an animal for the rest of his life. Unable to use jutsu anymore, even the most basic of things, how could he call himself a ninja anymore? He may as well be an animal. Even the Byakugan was useless to him now. What kind of life would he have from now on? He couldn't be a ninja anymore. And this transformation may not have been over yet. What if he was still changing? How much worse was this going to get? He knew nothing about being a dragon. What did they eat? How much did they eat? What was he going to do? There were so many questions. What happened when this transformation was done? Was he going to die? What if his body couldn't handle the change and he ended up dying?

He was scared. Neji didn't want anyone to know it, but he was truly frightened. He was so worried. This was overwhelming. Now that everything had a chance to sink in, Neji felt so horrible. Sad that he couldn't return to his old life, angry that this happened to him in the first place, frustrated that he didn't know what to do, scared that he might end up dying or being killed because of this and worried that this was permanent.

Naruto heard a strange sound and looked over his shoulder at Neji. He was moaning. No, more than that. He was whimpering. Naruto crawled away from the fire to look at Neji's face. He looked so depressed and worried. It was like the whole world was doing everything in its power to destroy him. He looked like he was in pain. Naruto didn't know if the transformation was painful, but Neji really looked hurt. His eyes were beginning to water and his body was so stiff.

"Neji… Are you crying?"

Neji's tail whipped out and slapped Naruto in the head.

"Ouch!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. It wasn't too hard a hit. He was just hit with the tip. Neji faced away but Naruto could still see his eyes. A look of hopelessness was written all over his face.

A gust of wind blew into the cave, fanning the flames, making their shadows dance across the cave wall. Naruto didn't feel it. Not the wind or the cold air, not even the heat of the flames on his back. Looking into Neji's eyes, he realized something he had been overlooking all this time: Neji was scared. He was worried. Here Naruto thought it would be great to be a dragon, but it turned out to be a real burden. What was the point in being a dragon if you had no control over your body and with no knowledge of what if was capable of? This transformation may have been permanent. Naruto thought it would be cool to be a dragon, but not if you couldn't change back. He wouldn't want to be one forever. The same was true for Neji. He was worried that he may never be human again. He had lost all of his ninja abilities and his human form. He could no longer even speak. How was he supposed to live like this? He must have been worried about that. The look in his eyes told Naruto that much.

They had no answers and no way of knowing what would happen. Anything was possible. Including the possibility that it was irreversible. Neji could spend the rest of his life as a dragon. What if he died? What if this transformation would kill him? No one knew what a dragon needed in order to survive, least of all a human turned dragon. What would become of him? With everyone at the village trying to kill him and refusing to listen to reason, Neji truly had no home to return to. Not that he could, being so big. Life as he knew it was over.

But he didn't have to be alone in this. It was going to be difficult. With so many unanswered questions and worries. He was no longer welcome home, his allies wanted to kill him and would attack him on sight. He had no way to speak to them and no way of proving that he was who they claimed. Naruto knew these facts. He understood how Neji must be feeling now that the reality of the situation sank in. Neji felt so hopeless and scared and unsure of anything. He knew how to be a ninja and was good at it. He knew of this world and knew he had people he could depend on. But as a dragon… What did he have? Who could he count on?

Naruto put a hand on Neji's forehead. Neji blinked his eyes and looked at him without turning his head. "Don't worry, Neji. I'll help you through this. You're not alone. I'll help you."

Neji could feel the energy in Naruto through the palm on his forehead and felt comforted. It was enough to pacify him for now. Knowing that he wasn't alone did bring him a bit of comfort. At least he had someone who knew the situation and could talk for him. Naruto may have been an idiot, but he was someone who could be counted on in a time of need.

Naruto touched the round jewel on Neji's forehead. It was warm. He stroked it slowly. He truly wanted to help Neji. He wanted to get Neji his old life back. The one that he knew. The one he belonged in. He wanted to give him back his old friends and his family. No one trying to kill him, no one trying to attack them. He wanted to bring him home.

"I'll find a way to fix this." Naruto's voice was quiet and serious. He spoke with a deep determination. Any lingering doubts were swept away when Neji heard this tone of voice. Neji knew that he could count on Naruto. "I'll figure out a way to get you back to normal. I promise. I promise I'll find a way to change you back. I swear it."

_And I never ever break my promises..!_

* * *

By the time Tsunade returned to her office to discover it in shambles, several men came running up to report the incident to her. They told how Naruto had broken the window and was properly dealt with. Then they told her about the destruction in the middle of the village.

"Slow down, slow down!" she ordered. There were too many people talking at once and she had just gotten out of an important meeting. Her head was still swimming with information. "Now tell me what happened. One of you."

One of the ninja knelt by her feet and reported. "Lady Tsunade, there was an attack in the middle of the village just about an hour ago."

"What? What sort of attack? How many were there?"

"Just one."

"One?"

The man nodded. "It was some sort of lizard. I believe it was summoned here by enemy ninja. It tore up the street and took a hostage."

Shizune looked at the Hokage. "M' Lady… You don't think..?"

"So two people have been kidnapped so far from different villages…" said one of the ninja.

"Lady Tsunade… we believe that the lizard may have been coming after you. There seems to be a pattern. I mean…" He hesitated to say more. "I mean… with the other village's kidnapping and all…"

Tsunade bit her lip and inhaled deeply, trying to control her breathing. "So… who was taken?"

"Reports confirm that it was Naruto. He was the hostage."

"Naruto?" Tsunade looked at the nodding men. "What actions were taken? What happened?"

"The lizard just grabbed him and ran off, out of the village."

"And did you go after it?"

The men hesitated. "Uh… we pursued the lizard, but…"

"It escaped, my Lady," finished another man. "Forgive us."

"Was he hurt?" asked Tsunade quickly. "Was Naruto injured during the attack?"

"Uh… We're not sure. He was yelling when he was taken so we know he was conscious."

"Are you thinking that he'll be able to defend himself and return on his own, my Lady?"

Tsunade said nothing and clenched her fists tightly. This was too much. It was all happening so fast. First the information at the meeting and now this. It seemed to be adding up. Villages were coming under attack. She may have been the target but Naruto was taken instead. It must have been an enemy ninja capable of summoning large lizards and using them to kidnap ninja. More villages were bound to be attacked. This was just the beginning.

"Lady Tsunade," said one of the men. "We'll leave immediately and go in search of the lizard. We'll bring Naruto back and destroy that lizard to make sure this will never happen again."

"No," she told them. "No, we can't risk it."

"But my Lady," said Shizune. "What about Naruto? He's still out there. What if-"

"Listen to me. I'm aware of the situation and I know that Naruto is in danger. However, I cannot send out our ninja to go search for him and leave the village open to attack. Whoever sent that lizard is bound to return and finish the job. We need ninja here to help defend the village. We must first strengthen our defenses. Get the word out to the others, but don't tell the villagers. I don't want to start a panic. We'll put more guards at the gate and up patrols."

"What of the lizard? And of Naruto?"

"We'll send out a small search party to look for them. But if you find the lizard, do not kill it right away. It may be useful in tracking down anyone else it may have captured. We may be able to interrogate it and find out some vital information. I will also be sending a group to the Sand village. They sent out an S.O.S and we will answer. They're getting desperate."

The ninja nodded. "Yes, my Lady. We'll go at once."

"Good, now get organized and meet back here for your final instructions." Tsunade dismissed them and they vanished. She stared down the curved hall and let out a deep sigh.

Shizune watched her with concerned eyes. "Are you alright, my Lady? Do you need to sit down?"

"No, I'm fine," she lied. She looked into her demolished office which was right in the middle of being cleaned up when she had ordered the ninja on another assignment. The clean-up would have to wait. This was much more important. "I'm just worried."

"About Naruto?"

"Yes, and about the village." Tsunade leaned her back against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. "First the Sand Village was attacked. Now the Leaf." The meeting was a private matter. Someone in the Sand village was taken and it was unknown if he was still alive or not. The whole village was worried. So much so that they pleaded for the Leaf village's help. "So far the Sand village has been left in peace."

"That may be because they got what they wanted. That's why they came here next." Shizune was just as worried as the Hokage but tried to remain calm and talk about the situation in hopes of uncovering some information they may have overlooked. "You don't think they found what they were looking for, do you? They may be back…"

Tsunade nodded. "There was a lizard at the Sand village. Then one was discovered here. I believe it's the same one doing its master's bidding by collecting useful ninja. I'm not sure why and I have no idea who could be pulling the strings. But I think you may be right and it will return here to finish the job."

"Yes. I think that those Jonin merely chased it off. It may have been after you. It must have grabbed Naruto my mistake."

"I don't think it was a mistake. It could have taken him for many reasons. He could have been the target all along but that's a long shot. It could have grabbed him to use him as a shield. That could be… Or maybe it wanted him as bait to lure out the real target."

"Or maybe it grabbed him in an attack but forgot to let him go. Or maybe Naruto fought back and couldn't release him." Shizune looked down at the pig in her arms. "This is troubling…"

"Oink…" moaned Tonton.

Tsunade sighed again and went into her office. She brushed the glass off her chair and sat down. She slumped onto her desk with another sigh. "We have to figure this out. First, we'll have to find that lizard and capture it. If it doesn't give us any information, then we may have no choice but to kill it. Just to make sure nothing else happens."

That seemed like the best move for now. Clearly that lizard was a powerful enemy. Why else would it be in the Leaf village causing a huge mess? It was obviously very dangerous.

* * *

I think they've got the wrong lizard. Anyone else think so?

Now things are getting more complicated.

Please review! ^-^


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: **

The creatures in the woods awoke on schedule with the rising sun. Birds were chirping their morning songs as the rabbits retreated to the safety of the trees as larger animals began to stir. Two of those creatures lay in a cave by the water. Despite sleeping on the stone and earth, Naruto was well rested and had a pleasant night's sleep. Though the fire had gone out at some point in the night, he remained quite warm. That may have been due to the large scaly tail wrapped around his body like a blanket.

Naruto lifted his head and looked around the cave. The sun rose from the opposite side of the cave so it was darker than it was during the sunset last night. Even in the dark cave, Naruto could see the dragon sleeping beside him. Neji hadn't moved from that spot all evening. Naruto must have wandered over to him for warmth when the night grew colder. He was using Neji's shoulder as a pillow, laying propped against his large body. His only complaint was being slightly stiff from sleeping in a sitting position all night. He felt it in his hips and shoulders the most. His left leg was asleep and throbbed when he moved it.

Neji's large head turned and greeted Naruto with his Hyuga eyes, which had changed to an oval shape, making them look more reptilian then human. Luckily, by the look of things, Neji hadn't grown in size from last night. Hopefully he was through with this unnatural growth spurt and wasn't going to get any bigger.

Naruto stroked Neji's shoulder and smiled. "Good morning."

"Rurrr," Neji said back. His breath smelled of sulfur and smoke.

Naruto stretched out while Neji moved his tail off of Naruto's lap. The blond ninja stood up and looked at the burnt out embers of the bonfire. The fire was out and in no danger of starting up again. They were safe to leave it. Naruto walked to the mouth of the cave and looked outside. It looked like a good morning. Very pleasant. He turned around and saw Neji struggling to his feet. "Well, come on," Naruto prompted. "Stretch those legs of yours."

Neji stood up, giving his legs a test. It was slow going. Neji had to figure out how to walk on four legs instead of two. He got the hang of it quickly and followed Naruto out of the cave. He squinted in the light reflecting off the water from the river. Naruto was already running over to it, eyeing the leaping fish hungrily.

"Aw, man, how lucky are we?" he asked. "To be this close to a river with so much fish? I'm starving!" He hadn't eaten anything all night and had no supplies with him. Not even money. Seeing this river just outside their refuse was a blessing. Naruto was already removing his jacket and tossing it in the grass.

Neji approached the water more slowly. This would be his first time seeing himself since he had changed. He didn't know what to expect. Taking a deep breath, Neji hung his head over the edge of the water and looked at his reflection. He recoiled slightly at the sight of himself. The large horns on the top of his head looked heavy, but honestly, he hadn't noticed any weight to them. They must have been there for balance. He took note of the sharp fangs in his mouth and the forked tongue. He looked at his scales and his mane and the jewel on his forehead and his tail and his claws. He looked at his long neck and his serpent like body. It became clear to him in the water's reflection that he was no longer human. Nothing about him resembled a human anymore. Even his eyes had changed slightly.

Water splashed him in the face and he turned his head in the direction of Naruto who had his hands cupped under water, ready to splash him again. "Come on! Are you going to help me get breakfast or not?"

Neji snorted and followed the edge of the river until he came to Naruto's discarded jacket and shoes. He sat down in the grass to watch him. He watched Naruto splashing around in the water, stirring up fish and throwing kunai at the ones that sprang out of the water to escape. So far he had gotten three fish. With another kunai, he caught his forth. That wasn't going to be enough for the two of them. Neji himself hadn't eaten anything for the past day. He was starting to get his appetite back. With a body this big, he must need a lot of food.

Naruto threw another kunai and missed. The fish were heading upstream, scared away by his splashing. "Damn. If only I had my bag with me. I've got a net in it…" He looked over at Neji who was just sitting by his clothes and frowned. "You could help, you know!"

Neji's long neck twisted in his direction.

Naruto pointed. "Get up there and see if you can chase them back down this way, alright?"

Neji stood up and went to the other end of the river. He looked at the water and then at Naruto.

"What are you just standing there for? Chase them this way!"

Neji knew Naruto didn't have enough kunai to gather all the fish they needed. Doing it his way would take forever. Neji had a better idea. He tried to tell Naruto what to do, but as usual, his new language made it difficult to understand the instructions. So instead, he tried to show Naruto what he wanted. He stomped on the ground and gave a small roar, trying to convey the message. He wanted Naruto to chase the fish his way.

He wasn't getting it. "What?"

Neji rolled his eyes and walked into the water. As soon as he did, a fish came leaping up and Neji swatted it away with his claws. The fish landed in the grass, flopping around.

"I think I get it…" Naruto thought he had Neji's message figured out. "Together, Neji!"

"Rur?"

Naruto slapped the water, kicking his legs until the fish started leaping. Neji heard the splashing sounds coming from behind him and instinctively swatted at it with his tail. Five fish landed in the grass at once. Neji looked at his tail in surprise. That was pretty useful.

Together Naruto and Neji scared the fish out of the water and chased them onto land, Neji using his tail and claws while Naruto used his knives and hands. Soon they had gathered up a large pile of fish big enough for a feast. Naruto pulled his kunai out of the fish and skewered them on sticks he broke off from a low branch. Naruto looked back at the cave, wondering if they should build a new fire or use the one from last night. Neji wasted no time in deciding for him. He stood over his pile of fish and roasted them with the red and blue flames shooting out of his mouth. Neji's fire made short work of it. The two sat down and enjoyed their meal. Naruto was satisfied with his four fish while Neji ate the pile of thirty or so fish they had collected together.

Naruto tossed the bones by the riverbed and sat back, looking up at the sky. The sun had now risen completely, bathing the clearing and trees in light. Naruto looked at Neji who was eating the fish whole, unable to clean them the way he would like in his size and for the sake of time. Even in the light, Neji looked magnificent. His dragon form was so incredible. It was an amazing sight.

But he had made a promise to Neji last night that he would find a way to change him back to normal. He didn't make his promises so lightly. He intended to follow through. He looked back at the sky, thinking of home. They couldn't stay here. The Leaf village was where they belonged. Enough time had passed. It should be safe to return.

"We've got to go back."

Neji stopped eating and stared at him.

"I told you yesterday that we can't stay here. We've got to get help. We need to go back to the village."

Neji was on his feet and roaring his protests. He was shaking his head and growling.

Naruto stood up and faced him. "Look, Neji, I know they tried to kill you and everything but it was nothing personal. We have to go back. I'm sure Grandma Tsunade can help us out. We showed her your arm before it got this bad."

Neji was roaring again.

"Yeah, I know I couldn't find her before and no one would tell me where she was; only that she wasn't here… but I'm sure they'll fetch her if I show you off to everyone."

Neji roared again.

"True… if they let me near the village without attacking you… They didn't listen to me before so they might not do it this time. They overreacted, but…" Naruto sighed. "We can't stay out here forever. Don't you want to get help? We need to find it first. So we have to go back to the village."

Neji bucked his head and roared. He scratched the ground with his claws, trying to reason.

Oddly enough, Naruto got the gist of what he was trying to say. "Then again… no one could do anything for you before. This isn't a jutsu. It's a curse. What do they know about curses? This may be beyond their skill. If even Grandma couldn't do it…"

Then where would they get help? The hospital couldn't help him. They found nothing wrong with him; twice. Tsunade couldn't cure him. Why go back to a village that was only going to attack him again and not listen to reason? It may have been home, but they were chased out of it. Where were they supposed to go for help?

Naruto's eyes lit up with realization. "Hey… I've got an idea. Why don't we go back to that village?"

Neji roared and slapped his tail against the ground.

"No, not our village. I mean the village where this all began. I say we go back to the village with the cursed Dragon's Pearl. That is where you got your curse from in the first place. If they own the thing, they're bound to have information on it. It's worth a shot, right?"

It did seems feasible. If the village harbored a cursed object, surely they must know of a cure or at the very least have information leading to a cure. At this point, Neji was willing to try anything.

Seeming to like the idea, Neji nodded his head up and down, agreeing with Naruto's suggestion.

"Great. Then let's get going." Naruto started walking. He was called back with a roar. "What?"

Neji jerked his head to the side, pointing in a different direction. Naruto was heading the wrong way.

"Oh. Ok, fine, then you lead."

They made their way through the woods together. Naruto was having an easy time of it, but just as it was last night, Neji was having difficulty. Neji had to constantly maneuver around trees and rocks as they went. Even when they found their way onto a path, Naruto noticed how often Neji had to duck under branches. It was awkward going.

Their travel lasted for quite a while. What started out as a brisk few minute walk had now become a long march up hill for what felt like hours. Naruto peeked through the trees overhead at the sun. Time had passed. It truly had been hours. Naruto's feet were staring to ache. He felt the labor of his long walk up hill in his legs and back.

He looked over at Neji who looked unfazed by the long journey. This walk up hill didn't bother him in the slightest. The more Naruto looked at him, the more he noticed how inviting his body looked. Neji's mane stretched all the way down his back and to the tip of his tail. It looked like it would make a soft cushion. Neji's back was very inviting and becoming more so every step. Naruto walked closer and place his hands on Neji's back, trying to boost himself up on Neji's elbow.

Feeling Naruto's foot on his arm, Neji halted and spun around with a roar.

"What? I want to ride on you."

Neji glared at him, looking insulted.

"Oh, come on! You're big enough! And my feet are killing me."

Neji turned away bitterly.

"You can either let me on your back or deal with me complaining the whole time until we get there."

Neji was silent. Then he reluctantly bent down for Naruto to climb up. Using Neji's elbow as a kind of step, Naruto boosted himself up, climbing onto Neji's back. He sat behind his shoulder joints and observed his new surroundings. This was so far off the ground and yet he still didn't reach the height of Neji's head. Neji's body was too wide for him to wrap his arms around so he had to make due with his mane instead. It was soft. Naruto clung to Neji's body as he started moving again with a snort. He could feel every muscle working as Neji moved. He was nimble but the constant jerking motion made Naruto feel like he was riding on the back of an elephant or a large horse. He ran a hand over Neji's scales and marveled at them. It felt like warm flexible leather with perfectly patterned, smooth bumps. This was amazing.

The path grew narrow, forcing Neji to swerve between the trees and duck under branches. He kept his head low. Naruto found that he had to duck, too, now that the woods had become more dense. He flattened himself to Neji's back, laying down. Naruto pressed his face into Neji's mane, using it as a kind of pillow. The scent coming off his hair was an odd mixture of dirt, water and shampoo. If Kiba were here, he may have been able to tell that this was Neji and not some enemy they had to destroy. Naruto started thinking about the village again and all the friends he had left behind. He could always go back, but that would mean abandoning Neji. He couldn't leave him all alone. Besides, what if he did return and everyone tried to hold him down again? Even though he wasn't a dragon, he doubted that a warm welcome was waiting for him back home.

"I wonder how everyone's doing back at the village," Naruto sighed into Neji's mane. "I hope Sakura is doing ok. I hope she doesn't think I stood her up or anything. We were supposed to go on a date today."

Neji snorted and turned his head to give him a skeptic look.

"Well, not a date-date, but a date. I'm serious."

Neji continued to stare.

"Ok, ok… it was supposed to be a thank you kind of thing. Since she gave me that book I wanted, I said that I would treat her to some lunch. We were gonna do it today, but… you know."

Neji was still staring at him.

"What? Ok, so it's not a real date but to me it was. Of course, knowing my luck, Sai and Kakashi sensei would show up and find some way to ruin it. They'd hog all my time with her and do something…" Naruto sighed again. He really wanted to go on an actual date, but every time he tried, something always happened. He broke his arm so Sakura would have to feed him and Sai ended up doing it instead. Then Kakashi tried the same thing. He wanted to treat her to lunch and Neji turns into a dragon and takes him away. There was always something stopping him. Fate must have hated him or thought it was funny.

Neji gave several short growls, speaking to him.

"What?" Naruto lifted his head. Neji was making a strange gesture. He was holding up his hand and looking at it. "Huh?" Neji repeated the gesture. It looked like he was reading an invisible book. "Oh, you mean the book Sakura gave to me?"

Neji nodded. He found it odd that Naruto of all people would be interested in a book.

"Well, it was Sakura's. She said that it had some really cool ninja techniques, so I asked if she could tell me about it. So she decided to give me the book. I kinda thought she would just tell me about it or show me the techniques, but she said that I would learn more if I read the thing." Naruto scoffed. "So once again, things didn't work out the way I thought they would. Oh, well…"

A low branch caught on Neji's horns and was ripped from the tree. The branch fell to the ground by his feet. Neji lowered his head again and kept walking, being extra careful. Naruto watched him for some time, then decided to ask him something that had been on his mind for the past few minutes.

"Why don't you just fly to the village? We'd get there a lot faster and wouldn't have to deal with all this."

Neji stopped walking and shook his head with a growl.

"Why not? Like I said, it would be a lot faster."

He started to buck his head and growl.

"We've been through this. I can't understand a single word you're saying. What?"

Neji started gesturing again, pointing back toward the village and growling and scratching the ground. Then he gestured to the trees and the broken branch on the ground. He made vigorous bucking motions which made Naruto cling to his mane to keep from falling.

"I don't…" Naruto tried to understand what he was trying to say. Something about the village, scratching indicated violence in some way, the trees breaking, Neji's body… "Oh..! I get it. I think I got it."

Neji stopped gesturing and listened to what Naruto thought was the answer.

"You don't want to fly because you don't have a good hang of it yet. Is that it?"

He nodded.

"And… there was more, wasn't there? Hang on a second." Naruto thought hard about this one. Then he thought he had come up with an answer. "And you don't want to try flying because someone might see us and panic. Is that what you're saying?"

As usual Naruto only got the gist of it. Neji didn't want to try flying because he had no idea how to do it. He had no control over it and didn't want to crashland again. The other main reason why he didn't want to do it was because of the villagers. The way everyone reacted back at the village hinted that they would try to pursue the threat and go after him. By flying, he would make it easier for them to spot. Not to mention there were other villages around and other people. He didn't want to cause a panic. Seeing a huge dragon flying overhead wasn't normal. By traveling on the ground, they were safer and not so easily spotted. And this way, he wouldn't crashland into any more trees. Hopefully Naruto understood this. He seemed to get the basic things.

"Alright, have it your way. We'll walk there. I'm just saying it would be faster." Naruto made himself comfortable on Neji's back. "And as long as I'm up here, you won't be making me rush like you did on the mission. You know, when you had us run for most of the way."

Neji bucked, making Naruto hit his head on Neji's back.

"Ow! What was that for? You know you did that. Telling us to hurry and everything."

Neji explained his reasoning through growls and gestures.

Naruto watched him until he understood. "Oh. I see… You wanted us to hurry because it was urgent and the theives showed up every night so you didn't want us to camp out and miss them when they came. The village isn't that far away but if we walked it would take us a while to get there and we would get there too late. I guess that makes sense… Ok, ok, I guess you were right to make us hussle." Naruto rested against Neji's back again. "Still, you made us run for most of it. I know Lee doesn't mind that sort of thing and you and Tenten are used to it… but I'm not, so ease up, ok?"

Neji snorted a response and started walking again. The constant rocking was kind of soothing. Naruto listened to the crunching of the leaves and sticks under Neji's feet as he walked. The sun cast leaf patterns on Neji's scales and on Naruto's body, moving quietly through the woods. It was a warm and sunny day. Naruto was thankful for the shade from the trees and glad that Neji allowed him to ride on his back during the long trip to the village. Naruto had forgotten where it was exactly and wasn't sure how to get there. It was a good thing he had a guide to take him all the way. He could just sit back and enjoy the ride.

Noticing that Naruto was unusually quiet, Neji stole a peek over his shoulder to see how he was doing. From the look of things, Naruto had fallen asleep on his back, lulled by the rocking of his body. As long as he was quiet, Neji didn't mind and kept walking. He made his way back onto the main path now that it had gotten wider and walked more easily through the trees. This was much better.

Neji's long body jerked to a sudden stop. Naruto lifted his head and looked around. He didn't intend to fall asleep but it was a very peaceful hide. He looked around to see why Neji had stopped. "What's going on? Why'd you stop?"

Neji pointed through the trees with his head and snorted. Naruto looked. At the bottom of the hill was the village of folklore and legends. It was such a relief. Naruto jumped down from Neji's back and took the lead. Neji followed close behind, keeping his head down low.

The village was the same as when they left it days ago. The wooden houses were the same and so were the people going about their daily lives. The only difference was in their eyes when they saw their uninvited guests walking down from the hill and into their village. Children stopped their games and stared at the dragon following the blond boy into the village. The children ran to their homes and hid behind their parents as Neji came closer. The adults gawked at him but said nothing. The village had grown awkwardly silent. Neji lowered his head feeling very self-conscious. He didn't mean to frighten these people.

"Hello? Is the headman around here anywhere?" Naruto called in a loud voice. He cupped his hand around his mouth and shouted again. "Yo! Headman! Where are you?!"

A man came out from around a building carrying a shovel. "Kids today have no respect for- whoa!" He dropped to his knees when he caught sight of the dragon standing in the middle of the street.

"Hey," Naruto waved at him as if arriving early for a party. "Where's your headman at? We have a couple things to ask him."

Apparently the man had not heard him. He was still staring at Neji openmouthed. Thankfully the headman arrived without having to be called. He was summoned by the sudden silence of his people. Just like the man with the shovel, he stopped and stared at Neji in disbelief.

"Oh, my…"

Naruto gave Neji a hard pat on the nose, showing that it was no illusion. "Yeah, tell me about it. He got this way when he went into that shrine of yours. Now we're not allowed to go back home. We got run out of our village."

The children exchanged fearful looks and turned their heads in the direction of the shrine. They clung tightly to their parents and backed away into their homes. The stories were proven true. Neji watched them out of the corner of his eye. Between what they saw and hearing Naruto's words, it was obvious that these children would never try to go near that shrine as long as they lived. They didn't want to turn into a monster and be chased out of their home and shunned by their people. What they saw left no room for doubt. Going into that shrine would bring them no good fortune.

The headman got over his shock and spoke. "The shrine..?"

"Yeah, old man. Neji went into your shrine and came out like this."

He gapped at the dragon. "What did you touch?"

"He touched that ball thingy. The one on the table in there."

The headman looked back at Naruto. "You mean the Dragon's Pearl?"

"Uh… sure?"

The man with the shovel stood up and whispered to the headman. "But that was just a story. You mean it's all true?"

"Hard to argue with this." The headman looked Neji up and down. "How did this happen?"

Neji was quiet.

"Speak."

"He can't," said Naruto. "He lost his ability to talk when he changed into this."

"I see…" The headman moved closer to Neji, eyeing him up and down. He looked more curious than fearful now. "What was it like? The transformation. Was it instantaneous or did it happen gradually?"

"Well, it took him like a day or two to change," Naruto answered. "All he did was touch the orb in that shrine. That Dragon's Pearl thing."

"I'm not all that surprised," said the headman. "One of the legends stated that something like this would happen if the pearl were to be touched. But it's a variation; just one of several outcomes to the story. I guess we know which one is accurate."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great. But we have a few problems here, old man." Naruto pointed at Neji again. "Since it was your pearl that did this, you must have a way to change him back. Right?"

The headman stared at Neji. Then he slowly shook his head. "No. I'm sorry. I don't."

Neji gave a small screech of fear and looked at Naruto with pleading eyes. This couldn't be it. There had to be something.

"Think! There has to be something!" Naruto pleaded with the headman. "What if he touched the pearl again? Would that reverse things?"

"I doubt it. If anything, it could make the situation worse."

"Worse than this?!" Neji was already a dragon. How much worse could it get? Would he grow a second head or something?

"It could make the change permanent. It could do any number of things but I doubt it would do anything to change him back to the way he was before." The headman scratched his bald spot, thinking. "I've never seen anything like this… This is the first…"

"But what about those kids?" the man beside him asked. "They tried to make off with the pearl before, remember? Why didn't they change?"

"They were wearing gloves," answered Naruto. "Neji thought it might only have an effect if someone were to touch it with their bare hands." He looked at the headman. "Isn't there something you can do? What do the legends say? They explained how you get the curse. Do they say anything about how to fix it?"

Once again the headman shook his head sadly. "The legends never mention a cure. None of them do. I'm sorry."

Naruto wanted to say something but no words came. There must have been something. Neji couldn't stay this way forever. But asking again wouldn't get them answers. If there was no cure, the was no cure. Asking again wouldn't change that fact. He felt sick. Could nothing help Neji? The hospital couldn't do it, and Tsunade couldn't either. This was their last hope and now…

Naruto turned to see how Neji was taking the news. For a moment, Naruto's lungs stopped working. Neji wasn't moving. Naruto looked at Neji's downcast eyes and read the pain he felt in his heart. The weight of sadness and frustration was overbearing. The hope carrying them this far on their journey had led to this disappointment. His eyes held such trepidation the likes of which no one had ever seen. It was clear now that there was no hope for Neji. He would remain this way forever. He could never return to his home or his old way of life. He was stuck; trapped.

Naruto's eyes burned with sadness and disappointment. He was mostly disappointed in himself than with the news they had just received. He had promised Neji that he would find a way to return him to normal. If it weren't for him, this would have never happened. "I'm sorry, Neji." Naruto touched Neji's snout trying to offer him some comfort.

A hand reached out and touched Naruto's shoulder. "Wait. There may be something."

Naruto turned around. "There is a cure?"

"Not here." The headman gave Naruto a hopeful smile. "But, maybe somewhere else."

"Somewhere else? What do you mean? There's two pearls or something?"

"Hold on a moment. Come to my home right now. I think I have something that may help you."

Neji's head lifted with hope. He and Naruto looked at each other quickly then followed after the headman. He took them to his house and went inside. Naruto stood on the porch and Neji stood in the street, watching him from outside. "What are you looking for?"

"Do you recall me telling you about the priestess?"

"Yeah, the Dragon Priestess. I know. I heard the stories. So?"

The headman opened drawers and looked behind narrow doors, looking for something. "Then you also recall me telling you about the shrine and how it was built to honor our ancestors who founded this village many, many years ago?"

"I guess so. What's that got to do with anything?"

The headman opened a cupboard and pawed through papers and scrolls as he explained. "It means that they once lived elsewhere. The Dragon Priestess and our ancestors came from other villages. They belonged to other villages before coming here and founding this village."

It took Naruto a moment to understand. "So… the dragon lady used to live in another village then traveled around and started this village. Right? Ok, that's great and all but what does that have to do with curing Neji?"

The headman pulled something out of a pile of papers and hurried over to Naruto and the dragon. "Plenty… if you consider the possibility that the Dragon Priestess has artifacts still in her homeland which may be of use to you."

Naruto looked over his shoulder at Neji. He seemed to understand more about this than he did. He looked back at the headman. "So, to put it simply..?"

"The Dragon Priestess is a legend. However, her belongings are very real. The Dragon's Pearl was hers and as you can see it holds great power. But she used to live in another village before traveling here and building this village many years ago. It's possible that some of her belongings, or even blood relatives still exist there. I believe that if you travel to her homeland where she and the Dragon's Pearl were born, you may find a way to cure your friend. She may have artifacts there that could reverse this or you may run into members of her clan that are still alive. They may be able to help you. Go to her village and get information."

Naruto's eyes brightened with hope. "So all I have to do is go to her home village and we can cure him? Really? That's all we have to do?"

"I certainly hope so. It seems like your best bet." The headman handed Naruto a folded piece of paper. "Here's a map to her birthplace. I've marked it for you. Take it. And I wish you and your friend the best of luck."

Naruto clutched the map tightly in his hands. This was it. They may have found a way to cure Neji after all. All they had to do was go to this village and everything would be taken care of. "Thanks, old man! Thank you so much!"

"You'd better get going. You have a ways to go on your journey."

Naruto waved the map in the air, calling out to Neji "You hear that? This place may be able to cure you!"

Neji looked relieved but not as overjoyed as Naruto was. After all, it was a risk. There was no telling if there was a cure there or not.

"I'm sure the village has a way to fix this. If not, they're bound to have information leading you the way you need to go to find answers. Good luck." The headman waved to Naruto and Neji who were already on their way.

Neji didn't want to waste any time. If there was the possibility of a cure, he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He ignored the children staring at him from their windows and walked to the edge of the village. They stood on the dirt path leading into the woods. The road divided two different ways. Neji nudged Naruto with his snout and snorted at him to open the map.

"Ok, let's see what we got here…" Naruto unfolded the map and located the circled village. "Ok, there it is. That's where we need to go. And we're right…" Naruto trailed a line with his finger all the way down to the village they were in right now. On a map, it didn't look very far but when Naruto saw how many villages there were between here and where they needed to go, he gave a loud whine. "Crap..! I thought it would be the next village over! Take a look at this."

He shoved the map under Neji's nose. The dragon looked at the map and saw why Naruto was so upset. He expected it would be further than the next village but it was still a long journey. There were several villages they had to pass through before getting to the village.

"This'll take us at least a week to get there! Maybe longer…" Naruto folded the map in his hands and shoved it into his jacket pocket. "You know, it'll only take us about a day or two if you flew."

Neji swatted at Naruto with his tail.

"Yeah, yeah, I know… You can't fly and you don't want anyone to see us. Ok, I get it. I'm not saying, I'm just saying." Naruto climbed back up onto Neji's back for another ride. "We'd better get started. Let's get going. We're supposed to go left here."

Neji turned left into the woods. He wasn't looking forward to the long travel, but if there was any hope of a cure, he would take it. At least he had Naruto to talk for him. Which may or may not have been a good thing.

* * *

Now we get into the cool stuff :D

Please review! ^-^


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: **

The woods seemed to go on for ages. Though Naruto wasn't the one walking, he was doing an awful lot of complaining. Restless, he would slid down Neji's back and walk for a distance then climb back up. He spent most of his time riding than he did walking. Neji didn't mind the walk too much. For some reason, he wasn't tired despite traveling for so long without rest. It must have been due to his dragon form. This new body must have been stronger in more ways than one.

They came upon a narrow body of water dividing the woods in two. There was no way around it and the map pointed to the other side. With no other option, Neji swam the inlet with Naruto riding on his back. The water wasn't very deep. Neji could touch the bottom. Once on the other side, Naruto pulled out the map again. "Let's see…" He consulted the map. "It says to keep moving forward… I think. Yeah, it does. So keep going this way, Neji."

Neji looked up at the sky which was already starting to turn a darker shade of blue. It would be sunset soon. He didn't want to travel at night so they may have to make camp in the woods if they didn't reach the village soon. As he let out a sigh, something caught his attention. There was a scent on the air. Neji lifted his head and sniffed. It smelled like farmland. He could smell cattle and mud and wheat. The village must be close by.

"What is it, Neji?"

Without answering, Neji hurried off in the direction of the smell. Naruto clung tightly to Neji's back as he galloped through the trees. The trees started to thin out and they could see the other side. Neji halted and stood at the opening. Naruto slide down Neji's back and looked for himself. There was a village in the distance surrounded by farmland.

"Awesome! We found the village." Naruto folded the map and stuffed it back into his jacket. "Let's go!"

They started walking. Then suddenly, Neji reached out and grabbed the back of Naruto's jacket with his teeth. He pulled him back with a growl.

"Hey! What is it?"

Neji released him and gestured to the village with his head.

"What? What about it?"

Neji lowered his head and grunted, giving Naruto a shameful look.

"What's the matter?" Naruto looked from Neji to the village. It took him a minute before understanding what Neji was thinking. "Oh… You're worried, aren't you? About how the villagers will react to you."

He nodded. The village they had just left was one thing. They heard all those legends so they may have been expecting something like this at some point. But those children still ran inside and hid from him. The fearful look in the adults' eyes as they ducked into their homes made Neji uneasy and ashamed of his appearance. That village may have understood his position and didn't have as strong a reaction as other places would when a dragon appeared on their doorstep. Thinking of how the Leaf Village reacted to his transformation worried Neji. What if this village reacted the same way and attacked him? The thought stirred up all sorts of bad memories and put a great deal of fear and concern into his heart. He didn't want to enter the village like this.

Naruto patted his head. "It's ok, Neji. I'll go in with you."

They needed a place to stay for the night. They also needed water and other supplies before continuing. It was a week's journey according to the map. There was no way they would survive.

Neji knew they had little choice. He reluctantly followed Naruto toward the village. As they got closer and Neji started to hear voices and laughter, he hung back, slowing his steps. Naruto stopped and turned around.

"Ok, how about this?" he suggested. "Why don't I go into the village by myself and let everyone know that I have a dragon with me? That way they won't freak out so much. I can tell them you're trained if that helps."

Neji hung back still, unsure. It sounded like a good plan, but there were flaws with it. What village in its right mind would want something so large and potentially dangerous so close to where they slept? They may not understand. Perhaps it was best if he stayed behind while Naruto checked out the village by himself and they would meet up later.

A child's voice chirped happily, approaching fast. Neji had no place to hide and couldn't run away in time. A small child came from the buildings and over to the side of a house. He stood on a wooden box and opened up a barrel, taking something out. He paused, looking up at the strangers standing nearby. Then he grabbed what he wanted from the barrel, closed it and hopped off the box, running back the way he came. Neji and Naruto looked at each other. Then the child came back, pulling on a boy's arm. He pointed at Neji. Neji gulped, expecting them to panic.

"Cool!" exclaimed the boy. He ran back into the village with the child. "Hey, everyone! Come look! There's a dragon out here!"

Neji took a step back, wanting to run away. Children were one thing, but adults were another. Just because they found something interesting didn't mean the parents would feel the same way. He was expecting pandemonium.

Several adults showed up and stared. Naruto stood in front of Neji, trying to hide him from sight, but it was a futile attempt.

"Amazing!" said one woman.

"Would you look at that!" said a man. "A real live dragon!

"Fantastic!"

"Just look at it. It's magnificent!"

"It's lovely."

Neji looked up in surprise. This was not the reaction he was expecting. No one was attacking him. They were actually welcoming him.

"You there," asked one of the women. "It that your dragon?"

Naruto pointed to himself. "You mean me? Uh… well…" He looked at Neji. He wasn't protesting so he agreed. "Uh, yes. Yes, this is my dragon."

Hearing this, Neji gave a loud snort and glared at Naruto.

"What? She asked. What do you want me to say?"

"Would your dragon like something to eat? Maybe some water or something?"

This he liked the sound of. Naruto turned around. "Yeah, sure! We need a place to stay for the night, too, if you have one."

"Sure! Right this way. We'll show you." The villagers led Naruto and Neji into the village. Neji couldn't protest anymore with so many people pushing them into the village and surrounding him on all sides. Naruto loved the attention. It was a kingly welcome.

Now inside the village, they could see just how welcoming it was. It looked like they were in the middle of a celebration. Colorful paper lanterns were strung up in the street, stretching from one roof to another in a zigzag pattern. Vibrant animal kites were fluttering from the corner of buildings, staring at passersby with wide unblinking eyes. Several food stands were set up on either side of the street, meats sizzling on the grill and drinks being chilled. There were games being set up as well. A large fish tank was resting in front of an alley, water filled with flashing fish that glittered like jewels. It looked like they were preparing for a festival.

"Looks like we came at a good time," Naruto thought aloud as he was pushed toward a large building at the end of the street. This building looked a lot like a temple. It was the home of a rich person. The wooden porch was well polished and maintained. Lights were lit inside the home, making the windows shine and light up with color.

Though Naruto took no notice of it at the time, eyes fixed on the decorations and the mansion before him, Neji noticed something odd about the village. This was farmland. He could smell the livestock from the woods and see the stables and barn from the street. However, these buildings all looked quite new. As a matter of fact, they looked very similar to the mansion they were standing in front of, only smaller. The buildings were clean and well kept, not very typical of a farming village. Something was off about this place. Why else would these people be so welcoming of a stranger with a dragon by his side? There must have been something deeper than what they saw going on around here.

The door to the mansion opened and out came several villagers. Also not very typical. Why would regular villagers be welcomed in a rich man's house? They marveled at the dragon standing in the street then called inside to the owner of the mansion. A young man came out wearing typical silk robes of a rich man. That was normal. He exclaimed when he saw the dragon at his doorstep and clapped his hands together excitedly.

"What a magnificent dragon! However did you come by it?"

Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Uh… It's kind of a long story…" He quickly changed the subject, but not to one Neji found important at the time. "Do you have any food? I'm starving."

Neji slapped him with his tail.

"Ow! What?"

He growled and gestured to the buildings, looking wary of his surroundings. Naruto took note of the area and realized what Neji was talking about.

"Hey… these buildings are pretty cool. They're like mini mansions."

The rich man nodded his head with a laugh. "Yes, yes, I have to take credit for that. I had them all built for these people."

"So you're the guy in charge, aren't you? I'm name's Naruto Uzumaki. This dragon right here is Neji."

"Pleased to meet you. You can call me Seji. I like to keep familiar with my people. No reason you should be any different. Welcome to the village."

"Thanks!" Naruto looked back at all the decorations and the people surrounding them. "You know, this place is awful clean for a farm village. Guess you got cleaned up for the party that's going on. Is there a festival tonight or something?"

"Yes, indeed," said Seji. "We do this every month, so you've come on a good day."

"Why every month? What's the festival about?" Naruto wasn't suspicious, just curious.

The man known as Seji was more than happy to explain. "Everyone in the village knows the answer to that, but I'll be happy to tell you. You see, my family has been here for generations. I come from a very rich clan. My family always told me that those with money stayed in power. And the rich are only rich if they keep their money. That saying was passed down from father to son for a long time. I was raised to think that we were the only ones that mattered because we had all the money. Therefore, things are due to us."

"No offense, but your family sounds like a bunch of jerks," said Naruto. Neji knew there was no stopping him from speaking so he didn't bother to slap him this time.

"I thought so, too," Seji went on. "In fact, because we were so rich, my family saw no reason to ever leave the house. So for many years, I stayed inside, never seeing the outside world. One day, being the curious child that I was, decided to venture out and see it for myself. I was going to walk onto the front porch for the first time." A sad look crossed Seji's face. "What I saw was heartbreaking. It wasn't the world I expected to see at all. I was always surrounded by large quantities of food and I was always kept warm and comfortable. That's how I thought everything was. But when I went outside and saw the village for the first time… it was a mess. There was mud everywhere. The people who worked so hard in the fields all day wore rags that barely covered their bodies. Their homes were shacks, just pieces of wood propped up against each other or tents fashioned from trees and blankets. The people were sick and freezing. All the best foods were given to our family first. We got the majority of the food grown in the village, and these people got next to nothing."

"That's horrible," said Naruto.

Neji knew that this was typical of a rich lord's family to get only the best and most of the food grown on their land so this didn't surprise him in the slightest.

Seji nodded his head sadly. "I was so upset when I saw this. But what troubled me the most was a little girl who came to me. She stood by the porch, clutching her rags together with her tiny hands, shivering with cold. Her face was all muddy and pale and she looked like she hadn't washed in months. She looked up at me, a small gap in her teeth and said to me, 'Did you need something, young lord?'" Seji shook his head. "I had everything I could ever want while this child had nothing at all and she asked if there was something she could do for me."

"I guess it's because she figured you were the lord of the land so she had to do things for you."

Seji nodded. "Yes, that's what I'm sure it was as well. I went back inside and reported my findings to my parents. They said that they knew all along how harsh life was in the village and knew that the people weren't being take care of. I confronted them about it, but they refused to listen. My father told me that only the rich deserved such things. Everyone needed to know their place. Their place was to serve us and get nothing in return."

"So what did you do?" Naruto leaned forward, very interested in the story.

"Well, at the time, I could do nothing. I was only a small child and my father controlled the family's wealth. It wasn't until a few years later after he died that I was able to make a change. So I set to work at once." Seji pointed proudly to the buildings strung up in lights and decorations. "I had these homes built for the people. I made sure that they received food and clean water and everything they needed. I wanted the people to be happy. I saw them suffer so much. I saw how hard they had to work every day with no gratitude or anything. So in addition to building them these homes and getting them supplies and whatnot, I decided to throw everyone in the village a party once a month so that they could take a break from working and have some fun. There's more to life than just working, you know."

Naruto was jumping up and down. "That's so awesome of you! You're amazing!"

"I just wanted to give the people a better life. It may not be exactly what I had growing up, but it's close enough. Unlike my family, I decided to share my wealth with the people rather than hoard it all." Seji gestured with his hand to the street and all the decorations. "Speaking of which, you're more than welcome to join us. The both of you. Please eat your fill and have fun."

"No problem!" Naruto was already scrabbling to get at the nearest food stand. Neji picked him up with his teeth and lifted him off the ground. Naruto's legs ran in the air. "What the hell are you doing, Neji? He said to have fun and eat."

He refused to put him down. They had a mission to continue and he was still feeling apprehensive about this village. The black and orange jacket started to tear part in Neji's jaws and Naruto fell, a huge stripe of material still in his teeth. Naruto spun around in a full circle, trying to take a look at his back. There was a big hole where it had ripped.

"Oh, way to go, Neji! My jacket!"

One of the women came up to them and put her arms around Naruto's shoulders. "Not to worry. We can mend that for you. We can even lend you something to wear. We were all about to get changed ourselves."

"Really? That'd be great!" Naruto unzipped his jacket and handed it to the woman. Another woman took the torn piece from Neji's mouth and followed the other to the mansion. Naruto followed them inside. Ignoring Neji's growls of protest, he went inside, Seji following close behind.

Neji waited outside, his body coiled by the front steps. The villagers emerged from their homes dressed in different colored kimonos and carrying paper fans. The children ran in circles around the adults until they found their friends and ran off together to play games. Some people were sitting on barrels, pounding drums or playing flutes. The lanterns were lit, the food was served and in no time at all things started to look like a real party.

"What do you think?"

Neji turned his head. Naruto was standing on the porch in a borrowed kimono and sandals. It was the color of the twilight sky embroider with orange and yellow fish chasing each other in a circle. Naruto looked very pleased with the outfit and was showing it off to Neji.

"They found one in my size and said I could wear it until my clothes were fixed. Isn't that nice of them?" Naruto tugged on the sleeves and rubbed his face against the smooth material. "It's so soft and comfortable. Hey, why are you just sitting around like that? Get up and have some fun! It's a party!"

Neji had little interest in the festivities. They were on a mission and Naruto was getting easily distracted. Didn't he understand that they had to find a way to lift this curse? Soon would be nice. Very nice. The sooner, the better. Neji couldn't believe how easily Naruto was taken in by all the decorations and fancy clothes and mouthwatering food. They were supposed to get supplies and leave. He was stalling.

The instant Naruto heard the music playing, he cleared the steps in one jump and ran into the street, joining the other villagers in celebration. Neji stood and stared at Naruto multitasking between dancing and eating. He grabbed as much food as he could and stuffed it into his mouth. Neji growled, watching him in disgust.

_He knows I'm still here, doesn't he? _Neji thought to himself. _We have a week to travel and if the Leaf Village believes that I'm some sort of threat, they're bound to come after me. For all we know, we could be pursued right now. Maybe he can return home anytime he likes, but I can't. I hope he realizes that. Damn, if I could talk, I'd give him an earful. He shouldn't be feasting like this either. This whole thing could be a trap for all he knows. He's won over so easily, that idiot_.

Neji felt a tug and turned around. The village children were playing with his tail, pulling on his mane and trying to climb onto his back for a ride. Neji stood up and carefully moved away. The children followed him, chasing his tail. Neji lifted his tail over their heads, trying to keep out of reach. But they jumped and clung to his tail, swinging back and forth, having a great time. Neji rolled his eyes. He wanted to throw them off, but he didn't want to hurt them. So instead, he sat on the ground and let them have their way.

"Hey, Neji!" Naruto called. "You hungry?" He pulled a piece of meat off a skewer. "Catch!"

Neji opened his mouth and ate the piece of food tossed to him. He swallowed it whole, the piece too small for a mouth his size. He got the smoky flavor from the fire and immediately wanted more. Without thinking about it, Neji wandered over to one of the stands and looked down at the food. The man laughed the moment he saw him and picked up a whole ham he was about to start cooking and handed it to Naruto instead. "For your buddy there."

"Thanks." Naruto tossed the ham into Neji's waiting mouth. The ham was the size of Naruto's head and therefore only a mouthful to Neji who ate it rather quickly. Naruto gathered up as much food as he could and tossed it into Neji's mouth, feeding him dinner. There was so much to eat here, but Neji preferred the meat to the other things sitting on tables. He still had a taste for the other food, he just liked meat more.

Naruto wandered away from Neji and over to the crowd forming around a large wooden table. He pushed his way to the front and eagerly looked on as a lid was removed from finely woven bamboo baskets. A rich, warm aroma floated in the air making his stomach grumble, despite having eaten his fair share of savory meat. Delicate pink shrimp dumplings, savory noodles and a large pot of tofu soup were placed onto the table and the people pressed together, their plates at the ready. Naruto swallowed and looked on hungrily as more plates were placed onto the table beside the others. Bean sprouts, green chives and assorted vegetables were placed down next, but Naruto took little interest. Hot tea and an assortment of cakes and cookies were placed next to a tray of pies to finish off the meal, but Naruto wanted to eat it first. The children seemed to have the same idea, reached up and grabbing what they could get a hold of and scooping it into their mouths.

Naruto held up a plate and a pair of wooden chopstick. "This looks amazing!" he declared and started feasting. Very little food made it onto his plate, traveling straight from the serving trays to his open mouth. He slurped up noodles and drank his soup and munched on tender pork all at once. Naruto snatched up a turtle-shaped cake filled with sweet and soft red bean paste. As he swallowed, the richness warmed his throat all the way down to his stomach. The ice water chilled his throat and chest on the way down. He went back to eating the hot foods, leaving the vegetables untouched.

Neji walked unsurely over to the table, eyeing the food longingly. There was no way he could eat it without making a mess or eating the plates along with the food. He needed help.

Setting his plate down, Naruto opted to help him. "Neji, open wide." He grabbed a bowl of dumplings and poured it into Neji's open mouth. He ate the dumplings happily, loving the tender, flavorful shrimp dumplings. He opened his mouth eagerly, looking at the suckling pig next. Hardly anyone had touched it in favor of the cut pieces of pork on the platter on another table. Naruto picked up the whole pig and tossed it to Neji who wasn't expecting to be given a whole pig to eat. Nonetheless, he ate the whole thing. Licking his lips, he sniffed the noodles and vegetables in a bowl. Naruto was more than happy to feed it to him. Naruto watched the lump in Neji's throat wiggle and disappear as he swallowed the meal. "Good, huh?"

Neji nodded his head, licking his lips again.

Then they looked over as the villagers formed a long line in the street, dancing in rhythm to the beat of the drums. Cheering, Naruto joined in, dancing along with them and making his own moves where he couldn't keep up. The people cheered and hollered, clapping their hands and jumping in time to the music. Neji stayed behind and watched. He was too big to join in and never danced before. It was more fun to watch everyone else have a great time.

The sun had set but the village was bursting with lively music and cheers. The lanterns lit up the dark, chasing away their worried and fears. For tonight, they would play and enjoy themselves. Work would come later, but with the colorful lantern lights mimicking the day, it seemed so far away. The party showed no signs of letting up for some time. Neji had no idea what time it was. No one else seemed to be keeping track of it either.

Soon, the dancing had stopped and the food was nearly gone. Some of the children were fussing and asking to go home while others were carried away in their parent's arms. But the party was still going for many. The doors of the mansion were open wide and many people had gone inside. Curious, Naruto had climbed the stairs and made his way in. Neji followed. He tried to follow Naruto up the steps, but they creaked under his weight and he quickly stepped off. He was forced to watch from the road outside.

Naruto sat among the villagers, still wide awake and ready to continue partying. "So what are we doing in here?" he asked, wondering why so many people had gone into Seji's home and were sitting around.

"This is the part of the evening where we make songs," explained one of the men. "We gather in here and when the music starts playing, we each make up a verse as our turn comes."

"That sounds like fun." Naruto had never been a part of a game like that before. He was very excited about it. He saw Seji wave his hand at the band against the wall, cueing them and they started playing. The party guests clapped their hands, keeping time. One man stood up and started singing. The clapping and music were so loud, Naruto could barely hear him. He was too far away and there were so many people pressed together, muffling his voice.

Another man stood up and started singing his verse. Naruto could see this man easier, but still had a hard time hearing him. A third stood up waving a cup in the air and splashing the other guests. They didn't mind, cheering him on. Naruto then noticed the pattern they were going in. If he was right, three more people would go and then it would be his turn. He had to come up with something good to sing. They made this up one verse at a time. It was a lot of fun and Naruto was eager to be a part of it.

"Raking in the fields,

Shoveling the filth,

I've done it all my life,

Every single day I work,

But it matters not at night,

When I go out with my friends,

And drink until the light!"

"Hooray!" everyone cheered, raising their glasses to the ceiling. The man sat down, getting pats on the back by the other men and filled his glass. Naruto smiled. These people didn't care how good they were. They only wanted to have a good time. No one yelled, no one criticized. It felt like a large family harboring no worries or cares in the world. Working could wait. It was a part of life, but it didn't have to be their whole life. One night a month, they would party, if only to remind themselves of such a thing.

Neji waited outside, listening to the singing men inside. He wanted to go. These people were too carefree. It was foolish. The buildings may have been new and rich-looking, but it was all paid for by the lord of the land. He held all the money. These people were poor. They had no right to celebrate like this every month. This village would be completely poor if they frittered their money away like this, on something so useless. Parties were fine on an occasion, but not as often as they had it. All this food wasted, all the drink, all the time… There was no point in it. Neji simply couldn't understand. How could these people be so carefree when they themselves had so little? The lord was rich, not them. Yet they spent freely, relaying on Seji to pay for everything they did. Why would they act like this? It made no sense to him.

Another man stood up and sang his song next.

"My brother is a moron,

Been so all his life,

Never even been able to tell,

A hoe from his-"

A man, Naruto assumed was his brother, shoved a biscuit into his open mouth before he could finish. "Hey, now, hey, now, be nice! You introduced us, remember?"

"It rhymed and you didn't let me finish." The man swallowed the leftover crumbs and continued. "I was going to finish by saying that no matter how dumb you are, you never give up trying and you're always there for me. After all, you can't be that big a moron if you got a woman to stay with you this long while I'm still looking for my soul mate." The two brothers embraced, patted each other on the back, laughing fondly at those heartfelt words.

Another man squeezed between them and puckered his lips. "I'm here for you, man."

"Oh! Get outta here, you!"

The room shook with uproarious laughter and more drinks were passed around.

Outside, Neji started to back away from the building. He was always more of a party watcher than a partygoer. He wasn't used to these kind of parties, either. The parties thrown at the main branch were always quiet and more sophisticated than this. They had an image to maintain, after all. A drinking party coupled with loud songs were never welcomed under their roof. If they were, Neji never heard of it or seen it. He felt uncomfortable being here. He was out of his element.

As he stepped backwards, he felt his tail bump into something small. Thinking it was a chair or a barrel, Neji turned. Instead he found a small child sitting in the dirt, knocked off his feet by Neji's movements. Neji tried to comfort the child and apologize, but without the ability to speak, he ended up growling at the child which caused him to start whimpering. Neji tried lowering himself, trying to show that he wasn't a threat. But that action didn't help. The boy started sniffling. Neji looked around for an adult. No one was around. This boy was all alone with a huge dragon. He started crying.

Neji looked around in a panic. He had to get this child to settle down. How was he supposed to do anything? Anything he did would only make it worse. This child may have thought he was going to eat him or something. Then he looked at his tail, getting an idea. Throughout the day, children have been trying to grab his tail and play with it. Maybe if he used it as a kind of toy, it would calm the child down.

Very carefully, he lifted it off the ground and held it above the child's head. Being extremely careful, he brushed the tip across the boy's head, stroking him. He looked up, blinking away his tears. Neji wagged his tail in his face, the dark brown hairs tickling his cheeks. The boy started laughing and latched onto his tail with both hands. Neji pulled his tail up, taking the boy with him. He dangled from the end of Neji's long tail, laughing and kicking his legs. Neji brought his tail up over his back in case the boy fell, he would have something to land on. The boy let go on purpose and landed on Neji's back. He slid down Neji's tail and rolled across the ground, laughing. He got up and ran back to Neji, wanting to do it again. He reached up with both arms, trying to grab his tail again and go for another ride. Looked like Neji had started something. But as long as the boy wasn't fussing, he may as well keep him entertained until the parents came to fetch him.

Inside the building, in was Naruto's turn to sing. Very eager, he stood up and sang to the ceiling the song he had just made up on the spot. It seemed to match the theme they were doing very well in his opinion.

"I was always hated,

For reasons I didn't know,

I couldn't understand it,

They said I'd always be alone,

Well, screw those other guys!

I never gave up,

No matter how much they told me to,

And you know what?

Now I can't turn around,

Without seeing someone I want to protect!

My friends are always there,

And I am there for them!"

Cheers rang out from every corner of the room making his own ears ring. At once, people started patting him on the back and ruffling his hair. They passed around more drinks and sweets. Naruto cheered with them as they crammed his mouth full of cookies and cake.

The party was interrupted by a man standing by the door, looking outside. "Hey, everyone, check this out."

They got up and peered out the door. "Well, I'll be damned…" The dragon outside was playing with a local child, turning his long body into a slide for the boy to play on. The dragon twisted his body around, taking the boy for a ride in different directions. He carried the boy on the end of his tail and bucked him up and down. The child laughed, clinging to him tightly. The dragon set the boy down and tried to walk away, but he followed. The dragon circled around him and the boy chased after him, going around in circles. Other children had come from their homes and started pulling on the dragon's tail and limbs. The dragon lay down in the street and let the children climb on his body, unable to fight back. The children made tiny roars, trying to stir up the dragon. Neji responded by giving a roar himself. The children cheered and begged him to do it again.

"Your friend's popular with the kids," said one of the men to Naruto.

Naruto grinned when he saw Neji get up and try to run away from the children. "Yeah, I guess so."

Halfway down the street, Neji turned around and started to chase after the kids. They screamed playfully and ran back the way they came. Neji chased them back to their homes. Then the children started chasing him back. Then he chased them, roaring. Now they were all playing a game of chase, taking turns. Neji started to make a strange noise in his throat. It sounded like a growl, but it was fluctuating, sounding like he was rapidly sucking in air, making a revving sound. Then Naruto realized what he was doing.

"Wait… Is Neji… laughing?" He had never heard Neji make that sound before. He must have been laughing. He looked like he was having a great time playing with the children.

The parents started to come to collect their children. Disappointed, they waved good-bye to the dragon and returned to their homes slowly. The smallest child Neji had been entertaining all this time was still with him. Then a man came from inside Seji's home, pushing Naruto aside. He pointed to the child who was reluctant to leave. Neji picked him up in his teeth and carried him over to his father.

"Thanks, dragon." He carried his son the rest of the way home. The boy looked over his father's shoulder and waved good-bye to the dragon. Neji waved back with his tail. Now that all the children were back in their homes and the noise had ended, Neji sat down in the street with a sigh.

One by one, the people in the building started to say their farewells and retire for the night. Seji and a few of the women were whispering about something together, then went over to Naruto. "You know, your dragon can stay around back. There's plenty of space and a roof over your heads. It should be comfortable. If not, there's a barn on the other side of the field, but it's a bit of a walk."

"Thanks," Naruto grinned. "Neji might scare the animals in the barn so maybe we should stay around back."

"I'll let your friend know." One of the women stepped outside and spoke with the dragon. A moment later, he nodded and followed her behind Seji's house to the garden.

Naruto looked around at the inside of Seji's house which was now covered with the remains of dinner. Discarded plates and cups lying every which way and crumbs and large pieces of food lay carelessly on the floor. Some of the servants were already at work cleaning up after the party. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder. Seji was looking down at him with a grin.

"So…" he said slowly. "I think I've waited long enough before asking."

"Asking what?" Naruto asked.

"You're a ninja from the Leaf Village, aren't you? I can tell by your headband. Ninja don't usually come to our village, passing right by on their way to other missions. I can tell that you're on a mission yourself. I've never seen a dragon before, but I've heard that ninja can perform summoning, calling animals to their location whenever they please. However, they usually go away if they are not needed. I'm curious why you're traveling with a dragon that doesn't seem very dragon-like."

"What do you mean?"

"Most dragons move gracefully. That's what I've been told at least. You two seem to be going on a mission somewhere. Mind if I ask what you're doing?"

Seeing no harm in doing so, Naruto told him everything. He told Seji about the cursed Dragon's Pearl and the village where he heard all the stories and how Neji had been chased out of the village by their friends and couldn't go back until he was cured. Seji listened without interrupting. Sometimes Naruto wondered if this man believed him or not. But Seji's expression never changed and he never gave any indication that he didn't believe his story.

"So that's why we're traveling. I promised Neji that I would get him back to normal. I can't let him stay like this forever. I thought it would be cool to be a dragon, but I guess not if you have to stay that way forever and not be able to talk or go home or anything."

"I see," Seji said finally. "Well, you're in for quite a walk. That village is pretty far away. I've never been outside this village so I couldn't tell you anything. I wish I could help more."

"That's ok. You're giving us a place to stay which is really nice of you. And we came on a good night, you having a party and all."

Seji chuckled. "Yeah… Your dragon eats a lot, too. We usually have leftovers when the party is through."

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Yeah, sorry about that…"

"No, don't be. The food usually ends up going to waste anyway. We either end up throwing it out or feeding it to the pigs. It doesn't keep for very long. So thanks for giving us less work to do in the morning." Seji moved to another room and Naruto followed. Seji took something from one of the women and handed it to him. "Looks like they fixed it for you. Did they do a good job?"

Naruto held up the orange and black jacket with both hands. "My clothes! Yeah, they did a great job, thanks!"

Seji smiled. "They're very good. Looks like they washed it for you, too." Seji motioned for him to follow. They went to the back of the house and Seji opened a sliding door leading to the back garden. There was a large pavilion surrounded by flowers and bushes, on which lay a dragon. "Would you like to say good-night to your friend and we'll find you a room to stay for the night?"

Naruto was looking forward to sleeping in a warm bed but was reluctant to leave Neji alone outside. He felt guilty, having the freedom to choose where Neji could not. Maybe he should just stay inside and not tell Neji. What if he stayed up waiting for him? Maybe he should say something to him.

He followed the smooth stone pathway to the pavilion and stood in front of Neji. He lifted his head when he saw Naruto standing in front of him. "Hey, Neji."

He snorted back a greeting.

"Seji said that we could spend the night. He's finding me a room right now." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… you don't mind if I sleep inside tonight, do you? I mean, they are offering and it's rude to turn them down so… I was just checking if…"

Neji gave a small nod and curled up on the pavilion.

Naruto blinked. "So you're ok with it?"

Neji nodded again and closed his eyes for a moment.

Naruto wasn't sure if he was really fine with it or not. While Naruto got a bed all to himself in a warm house, Neji had to sleep outside in the cold all alone. It really didn't seem fair, but Neji couldn't go inside. Naruto was the only one with a choice. "Well… ok. I'll just… be inside, then. Good night." Naruto walked back to the house, looking over his shoulder at Neji curled up in a ball all alone.

The door was closed and Naruto was led to a large room. The walls were covered with paintings and there was a large bed all made up for him in the middle of the floor. The servants bowed and left him alone. Naruto went over to his bed and laid down. The pillows were very soft and the heavy blanket was nice and warm. Yet he couldn't get comfortable. He kept thinking about Neji sleeping outside by himself. He may have been cold. What if he was lonely? What if he thought Naruto was a bad friend for being so selfish? Did sticking by your friend when they were in need end when someone offered him a warm place to stay?

The lights were doused and the homes grew dark and quiet. Neji watched the lights go out one by one until only the moon and stars could be seen. Sighing, he coiled around himself and tried to get to sleep. He heard the back door open and shut again. He heard footsteps on the stone path and heard something dragging across the grass. He opened an eye. Someone was walking up the stairs toward him. He felt something soft being tossed on top of him. A blanket. He felt pillows being thrown onto the pavilion and a body lay beside him wrapped up in a smaller blanket. He looked down at Naruto, able to see his face quite clearly even in the dark. Naruto had his eyes shut as he curled up into a ball, trying to get to sleep. Neji watched him for a moment, then he wrapped his tail around him like a protective wall and closed his eyes again.

* * *

Normally Naruto might not have thought that much about it. He would have just seen Neji nod and then forget about it. Maybe there's something more going on around here... Or maybe Naruto just matured and isn't so stupid anymore. Is that even possible?

Who knows?

Please review! ^-^ Not every village is going to be this kind, but I'm hoping the reviews I get will be nice. ^^'


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**:

The soft sunlight cast leaf shadows across Naruto's face and the wooden pavilion. Though the wood was hard and flat, he managed to sleep comfortably with the help of the silk pillows he had tossed down before he went to sleep. As usual, he was sprawled out, taking up most of the space Neji's wasn't occupying. He was partially on Neji as well, one leg thrown over his tail and the other propped up on his thigh. Neji was already awake and waiting for Naruto to move.

"Good morning," Naruto yawned.

Neji snorted a greeting. He pulled his tail out from under Naruto's leg and started to stand up. Naruto went tumbling down the wooden steps and landed on his back on the stone pathway.

"Neji..!" he whined. "Don't move yet, I'm still on you."

He snorted again. Naruto rolled backwards, landing on his feet and stood up. He cracked his back and bounced up and down, trying to wake himself up more fully. Neji watched him silently.

"What? You don't do this in the morning?" Naruto didn't wait for an answer and looked back at the rich house standing behind him. The garden was even more beautiful in the daytime. Now he was able to see the flowers in full bloom and the koi pond nestled safely by the bushes forming a natural fence around the yard. "I wonder where Seji is? I hope he plans to feed us breakfast. I'm starving."

Naruto started back into the house on his own, hunger getting the better of him. Neji attempted to follow but stopped, remembering that he was too big to enter the fancy home of the young lord. He sat in the middle of the yard and waited.

In the meantime, Naruto sat down at the decorative wooden table in the dining room to a large bowl of rice porridge. It was nice to have something warm to eat after spending the night outside on a cold pavilion. At least Neji wouldn't accuse him of being selfish or abandoning him in his time of need. Naruto did feel obligated to stay the night with him outside. After all, this whole mess was his fault.

Seji entered the dining room and welcomed Naruto with a smile. "Good morning. I see you still haven't gotten dressed yet."

"Huh?" Naruto looked down at the kimono he had borrowed for the party last night. "Oh, yeah. Sorry. I guess I forgot."

"It's fine. There are days when I don't feel like getting dressed myself." Seji sat down across the table from him and the servants set a bowl of porridge in front of him and filled his teacup while he stirred his breakfast. "How's your friend doing?"

"I, uh…"

"Would he like breakfast, too?"

"Oh… Yeah, I bet he would."

Seji called over his servants. "Would you be so kind to serve the dragon out back as well? Perhaps a larger portion would be nice. Give him what we have in the kitchen. That should be enough."

The servants bowed and left.

Naruto was already finished with his bowl and was looking for seconds. Seji grinned.

"You have a healthy appetite."

"Oh. Thanks."

Seji pushed his bowl across the table and over to Naruto. "Help yourself. I can always have the cook make more."

"Wow, thanks." Naruto slurped up the porridge without a second thought.

Seji watched him for a minute before speaking. "I was up a good part of the night thinking about your friend's situation."

"Oh?" Naruto paused between slurps then went right back to eating.

"Yes. I know I said last night that I had no idea how you would cure your friend and I did mean it. I've never been outside this village before, so I have no idea if this village will have anything you're looking for. I've never even heard of the village that you came from the other day. The one with all the legends and stories. Which is odd because we live right next to it, oddly enough."

Naruto licked his bowl clean. "So where is this going?"

"I don't really know," Seji said with a sigh. "With all honesty, I should have panicked when I saw your friend enter our village, but didn't. No one did which is an odd thing. Maybe it's that people these days are more accepting of such things. I hope you come across others like that on your journey."

"Thanks. Hope so, too."

"But while I was up last night…" Seji switched topics again. "I tried to look up any information I could find in my personal study that may aid you."

"Yes? And?"

Seji sighed once more. "Again, I found nothing. I really did try."

"Oh." Naruto placed his chin on the table. "Thanks for getting my hopes up."

"Sorry about that." Seji chuckled.

_For a nice guy, he sure seems kinda ditsy_…

After a quick breakfast, Naruto went outside to find Neji finishing up his breakfast in the garden. He was fed any leftover meat they had from the party and whatever else they had to give him. Neji swallowed a roast chicken and walked around the side of the building to get to the street. Naruto followed him, zipping up his orange and black jacket. Now that he had returned the borrowed clothes and sandals and eaten his fill, it was time to leave.

It was still early, the sun barely over the mountains far off on the horizon. But that didn't stop the villagers from waving off their wandering guests. They came out of their homes and flooded the street as soon as the dragon made his way out of the lord's garden. It was as if they had all been watching from their windows to see them off. The children, still in their nightclothes, clung to their parents as they were carried out into the cool morning air to give the dragon one final look. It was a warm farewell, just as their greeting had been.

Naruto climbed onto Neji's back, settling himself behind his shoulders and checked his pocket to make sure they still had the map. Hearing a crinkle and feeling the smooth folded edges of the map, Naruto pulled his hand back out, satisfied. Neji's large head rotated from side to side, looking at the people pressing in on both sides stroking his scaly body with their hands. Children were hoisted onto their parent's shoulders to reach his mane and stroke his back. He remained still. Naruto could feel him tease up and wondered if Neji was uncomfortable being touched or simply that there were too many people.

Someone tugged on Naruto's pant leg and he looked down. Seji was pushing his way through the crowd carrying something in his hands. He lifted it up to Naruto who had to bend down to reach it. "This is for you. I thought I might help."

It was a light brown brocade bag. It was thick and held quite a bit. Opening it, he discovered that it already held treasures inside that would aid them on their journey. Inside, he found a small wool blanket, a hollow gourd filled with fresh water and a generous simply of cakes. Naruto pulled the cord to close the bag and flipped the top over to conceal the lord's parting gifts. "Thanks, Seji. This is awesome."

"I felt bad about not being able to help you more."

"Hey, you fed us and gave us a place to stay. I say we're even!"

Seji reached up and clasped Naruto's hand, shaking it. "I wish you and your friend the best of luck. Safe travels, the both of you."

Naruto shook back. "Thanks." He pulled his hand free and waved to the other villagers. "Bye, everyone! Thanks for everything!"

The villagers waved their good-byes, shouting over each other to wish them luck. The children chased Neji down the street, savoring every moment they had left. Once they reached the last of the houses, the children stopped following and waved, not to Naruto, but to the dragon he was riding on. Neji waved to them with his tail as they called after him, sad that they were leaving but happy to have met.

They waved and called out to each other until they were out of sight. Sighing, Naruto leaned back on his hands and swung his legs while Neji walked. "That was nice, wasn't it? They were the nicest people I've ever run into. That was a great village. Even Seji was nice. I guess he gave me this bag to make up for not being able to help us out more." Naruto strapped the bag to his back and leaned forward to poke Neji in the spine. "So, I see you ate pretty well. Did they just give you chickens to eat or what?"

Neji bucked his back.

"What? Can't I ask that?" Naruto pouted. "They were nice, you know. Would it kill you to be grateful? Most of the time when I go out on missions, I meet a bunch of asses. Can't I be happy when I run into people I like and who treat me like I'm royalty?"

_It's a poor village and we ate their food and wasted their time. That lord, Seji, was the only one in the village who had any money at all and he was frittering it away on parties he throws every month. It's a waste of food that these people have to work so hard for everyday and then they're expected to go back and work after getting drunk and eating themselves sick. I don't want to be responsible for eating all their food. I just wanted to get some information and maybe a place to stay for the night and get going as soon as possible. Not party all night and leave when everything's gone. I think we took advantage of them. Then again, they were foolish for throwing such a party every month. If they were smart they wouldn't be doing such a thing. Even that lord isn't very sharp if he advises this for his people. He won't have any money at this rate if he keeps throwing it away like he's doing_… That's what Neji wanted to say. Instead, all he managed to do was grunt and growl.

Naruto knew he was saying something but couldn't make it out.

"You were suspicious of that place the moment we walked in and everyone welcomed us, weren't you?" he asked the dragon. "Can't people be nice and welcoming without having some evil plot?"

_Things just don't work that way. I'm trying to make things better between the main branch and my second branch, but we still have our places. Things are changing, but not that much. I don't think that will ever change. We will always have the two separate branches_. Still, Neji couldn't make his words understandable to the boy on his back. He would go unheard.

"Can't you have a little faith in people?" Naruto continued. "I know Seji's a little on the weird side and I haven't known him that long, but he's a nice guy and these people are grateful to him. You heard his story. He felt bad for them and wanted to help."

_There's a difference between being generous and being foolish with your money. There's a fine line when it comes to helping people. People need to know their place in society. Those people aren't rich. He is. Yet he's opening his doors and welcoming them into his home and being careless_.

"Seji wants to help those people and give them some joy in their lives because they have to work all the time. His family always told him that there were two kinds of people in the world: the rich and the poor. The rich keep their money and remain rich and the poor people suffer because no one will help them. It's stupid. At least Seji was smart enough to see that unless the people are taken care of, the rich will have nothing because the people provide for them, growing their food and everything. Without them, they have nothing. Seji opens his door to those people to show them that there is no difference. Rich or poor, they're all people. And they matter. That's why he has a party every month, so that they can enjoy themselves. He's trying to share the wealth and show that they're equals. Money doesn't have to change that. What's the point in having money if you don't use it? He's using it to help people instead of hording it."

That may have been true. _But still… He won't have any money left if he keeps this up_.

"They're all in this together," Naruto went on. "Seji's a good guy, even if he is a little weird, like I said. Why should the poor live in the mud? He made them houses, he gives them food and shows them a good time. He's trying to help. He's sharing his money. He's a good person. If anything bad happens to him, the people will help and same thing goes for if they're in trouble. They have each other and that's what's important to them. They don't care about class or money or place in society. They're all just people. Seji sees everyone as equals. And judging from how the villagers were acting, they feel the same way. Since they're not restricted by class, they have freedom. They're happy."

Neji paused. Once again, Naruto's words hit hard. That was a very good point. Those people were farmers and hard workers, spending most of their time tending to fields and cattle and doing chores from the moment they got up to the moment the sun went down. They all had jobs to do and worked hard at it. Yet they seemed so happy. Normally farmers didn't have much. Certainly not the clothing they were seen wearing when they visited and definitely not to have a party like that on a monthly basis. The lord provided for them, as Naruto said. He kept them happy and living comfortable lives. Work and play. They were welcomed into the lord's home as if he were a normal person. He was a normal person; he just had money. Naruto was right. Seji was doing his best for these people and now they were equals. He wasn't going to let greed and his money cloud what really mattered. Money got in the way of some things, dividing people into separate groups. Seji eliminated that.

_I guess I was wrong_… Neji stepped over a fallen branch in the dirt road, taking Naruto to the next village. _It's just that I was brought up with the difference in class and all that. The main branch… and mine. I am working hard to patch things up, but no matter what I do, there will always be the two separate branches. We will never be one. Never equal_. He lowered his head, thinking to himself. The more he thought, the more he felt saddened by what he had discovered. How the Hyuga clan could never be like that village they had just left. _I don't practice in fatalism the way I used to. Not after my fight with you, Naruto. But I still believe that there are some things you cannot change_. _Though it would be nice if I could live like them and not have to worry about differences. I'd like to know what that kind of freedom feels like_.

Neji stopped and Naruto looked around his long neck to see why he had stopped. "What is it?"

There was a fork in the road and Neji stood in the center of it. The road branched off into different directions, and different villages.

"Hang on." Naruto opened the map and looked at the path the headman had drawn for him. "Uh… Ok. Go left, Neji. That's what the map says."

Neji turned left, taking the lonely dirt path into the forest. After walking for some distance, the road grew more narrow and the trees became thick. Neji lowered his head as the branches came dangerously close to his face.

While he walked, Naruto amused himself with the bag Seji had given to him. When he got bored with that, he started to use Neji's body as a jungle gym, climbing up his long neck, grabbing his horns and sliding back down. He tried a balancing act, standing on Neji's back as he walked and making his way up and down his spine. He tried to see how close he could get to Neji's tail without losing his footing. After a while, Neji found Naruto doing push-ups on him instead and grew annoyed. He turned around to say something.

_I'm not some playground for your amusement. If you have that kind of energy, then get off my back and walk_. Instead of that, Naruto heard, "Raah ruara ruagh. Raugh rarara rah."

Naruto stopped doing push-ups. "Huh?" Neji repeated himself, then paused and groaned, remembering that Naruto couldn't speak dragon. "I told you before, I can't understand a single word you're saying. We've been over this."

Sighing, Neji faced forward and kept walking. As it turned out, he didn't need to order Naruto off his back. He did that on his own. Now the two were walking side by side in the forest. The sun disappeared as the trees grew thicker and thicker, blocking the natural light. They walked for a few hours, then Naruto hopped back onto the dragon, hitching a ride.

When he felt enough time had passed, Naruto opened the brown bag and started to eat the sweets Seji had given to him. Neji turned his head and Naruto tossed a cake into his mouth. They feasted on Seji's cakes as they walked. Naruto drank from his new gourd and reached inside for another cake only to discover that he had eaten the last of it. With nothing left to eat and his stomach now full, he flopped down on Neji's back and took a nap.

Taking opportunity of the quiet, Neji decided to practice using his dragon powers for a little while. He had nothing else to pass the time with. He was also curious about the extent of his abilities. What else could he do? Just in case anything happened, Neji wanted to be ready and have good control over his powers. There was only one way to do that: use them.

So while Naruto slept, Neji practiced using his fire abilities. He blew out a stream of fire from his mouth when the trees parted, giving him more room to work. Next he tried to control that flame. He puffed out small fireballs. He tried making different shapes with the fire and control how much he released. Wondering if he could do the same thing with smoke, he tried that next, blowing out a puff of smoke with no flames. He puffed out a ring of smoke next, then a ball, and then tiny wisps. He was getting pretty good at this. He was a natural.

A natural. Something he didn't want to be. The very thought made him feel sick to his stomach.

_I'm not a real dragon. I'm a human being. I shouldn't be good at this. I shouldn't be a natural. What would that make me?_ Neji didn't want to be a dragon. _I'm a human, not a dragon. So… So I_…

This was so confusing. It was good that he had a handle on his powers, but still. He didn't want to get used to this body or to these strange new powers. He wasn't planning on staying this way for long. He wanted to change back as soon as possible. So he shouldn't get used to anything.

_Well, it is good to have some control over it in case anything happens. And I haven't broken anything in a while. That's good_. That was a good thing. _It's good to be prepared_.

He inhaled deeply and caught a damp scent in the air. Moisture. He looked up at the sky, noticing how grey it had gotten in such a short amount of time. It looked like rain wasn't too far away. He nudged Naruto awake, gesturing to the sky with his head.

Groggily, Naruto sat up and looked at the sky. "Oh… looks like rain…" Rubbing his eyes, Naruto gave a look around. "How long have we been going? We must be close to the next village by now."

Neji pointed to the map closed in Naruto's hand.

"Oh, right, I should look that up." Naruto opened the map and took a peek. "Let's see…"

Neji watched his face as he read the map. Slowly, it shifted to a frown.

"Aw… man."

Neji grunted, wanting to know.

"Looks like it's another day away. If I'm reading this right."

Neji snatched the map away with his teeth and set in on the ground to take a look for himself. The village headman had drawn a line to where they needed to go, marking the shortest routes. But the next village wasn't a day away like Naruto thought. It was two. Even if they hustled, it would still take them a while to get there. Neji wasn't too sure about traveling at night. Naruto wasn't too heavy to carry, but that wasn't the issue. Though he didn't feel very tired, even after walking constantly, he knew his dragon body needed sleep at some point. Not only that, but it was going to rain. They had to find shelter somewhere. The forest wouldn't provide what they needed to survive in the rain over night.

"What's with that look, Neji?" Naruto had hopped off his back and was staring him in the face as he consulted the map on the ground. "Something wrong?"

Neji pointed to the map and made growling noises.

"How many times do I have to go over this with you?" Naruto whined loudly. "I can't un-der-stand you. Just, I don't know, pantomime something."

So he did just that. Neji held up his fist to symbolize something, and had it rotate in a circle twice.

"What?"

Neji did this again several times.

"Ok… what about it? What do you mean?"

Rolling his eyes, Neji held up his closed fist again. Naruto stared blankly at it. Neji pressed it close to his face, trying to get Naruto to focus his attention on it.

"Ok, ok… It's your fist. What about..?"

Neji shook his head. He pointed at the sky, then held up his fist again.

"Ok. Fist… No, hand. No, wait. Uh, sun! Sun, right?"

Neji nodded.

"Ok, sun…" He watched Neji rotate his hand in a full circle twice. "Sun circle. Sun ball… Sun spin? Sun something." He watched, trying to understand. A full circle twice. "Sun…" It went down then up again. "Sun… set? Sunset. And then… sun… up. Sunrise."

Neji nodded.

"Ok. So sunset and sunrise…" Naruto watched. "So it goes down and up twice… so that means… two days, doesn't it?"

Neji nodded again and pointed to the map.

That was when Naruto understood him. "So it'll take us two days to get to the next village." His eyes widened. "What?! Two whole days! Are you serious?!" Seeing Neji nod, he slumped to the ground with a loud whine. "Ohh..! This sucks!"

Neji folded the map carefully and nudged Naruto with his head, trying to get him to stand up.

"Yeah, you're right. we'd better get a move on if we want to get there before it rains." Naruto snatched up the map and stuffed it back in his jacket pocket. He climbed back onto Neji and pointed forward. "Ok, onward!"

Neji slapped him with his tail.

"What?" he whined back.

* * *

Hours passed. The road seemed to stretch endlessly. Naruto would hop off Neji's back and walk for some distance then hop back on and ride for a while. Neji never stopped moving. They wandered the forest utterly alone. There was no sign of life and they hadn't seen one animal for the past several hours. The sky was growing darker by the minute, making it impossible to tell if it were day or night.

Naruto hopped back onto Neji sighing heavily. "I hope we get there soon. I'm tired."

Neji stopped walking and glared at him. While Naruto slept and rode on his back and feasted on cakes, Neji had been walking nonstop, carrying him everywhere.

"Right. Sorry."

The trees started to thin out revealing fields and patches of land. There was still no sign of civilization. Not one building. They followed the road taking them into the hills and away from the trees. That's when they heard rumbling. Something wet trickled down Neji's nose. A droplet hit Naruto's cheek.

It started pouring. The sky opened up, drenching them both in a sudden downpour. "Ahh!" Naruto grabbed the brocade bag and held it over his head for cover. The rain pelted them like hail. "It's raining too hard!" Naruto shouted over the rain.

Neji looked from side to side, seeking shelter. There weren't many trees in this area and the hills would provide them no shelter from the storm. He started to move quickly through the rain, searching for a place to stay and wait out the rain.

"Neji, wait! Look!" Naruto pointed at a wooden shack at the top of a shallow hill. Neji would have never noticed it if Naruto hadn't pointed it out, it was so well hidden by the trees and the rain. Neji hurried to the shack, his feet sinking in the mud like quicksand. "Hurry, Neji! It's really coming down!"

Neji started up the hill, his feet sticking to the ground, taking great effort to free them from the mud. They passed the first couple of trees at the base of the hill. Now Neji could clearly see the shack. It looked like a small barn, but that didn't matter. It had a roof and that was most important. Neji pulled his feet free from the mud and clung to a rock as his back legs slid down the hill. The ground gave way under him and the land started to slide out from under him like a flimsy carpet.

Seeing Neji sliding around in the mud, Naruto got off his back to help. He jumped down, landing in a large puddle and opened the barn doors. "Come on, Neji! Here!" He ran back for the dragon. The hill was shallow but it had gotten a lot steeper from his struggling and from the rain. Neji's back legs were stuck, sinking deeper into the mud the more he struggled. He tried to pull himself free using the rock but it offered little help. He saw an orange blur and felt something pushing against his left leg. He turned around and saw Naruto trying to pull him free. "Come on, Neji!" He pushed as hard as he could but the dragon was too heavy.

Neji pulled as hard as he could but he was stuck. He let out a roar, pulling against the rock which slid down the hill in the unstable ground and rolled past Naruto and into the road with a splash. Losing his balance, Neji fell forward into the mud, getting his front leg stuck, clawing at the ground with the other.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

From out of nowhere came a dozen Naruto clones. They stood on either side of Neji and started pushing. Naruto, the real one, stood at Neji's front, grabbing onto his leg and pulling with all his might.

"Come on, everyone! Get him out! Come on!"

"Push!"

"Pull!"

"Push!"

"Pull!"

His clones did what they could to free him. A couple bend down by his body and started to dig in the mud with their bare hands, trying to get his legs free. Some pushed while others pulled, sliding in the mud themselves. At any time, Naruto could have gone into the barn by himself to get out of the rain. He could have left Neji behind. He could have brought up his clones and gone inside while they helped Neji. But instead, Naruto was out in the rain with them, helping. Neji watched them slide around in the mud, getting soaked from head to toe and never complain. He felt their hands on his body, pushing and pulling to free him. Taking in a breath, Neji heaved, trying to charge up the hill. They all pushed and pulled at once. There was a loud suction noise and Neji's back legs were freed. The clones tumbled and popped. Neji ran up the hill, not wanting to lose this momentum. His front leg pulled free and Naruto went flying into a puddle. He quickly got up and ran to the barn doors. A powerful wind had blown one shut. Naruto stood in front of it and pulled it open.

"Come on, Neji! Hurry! Get inside!"

Neji ran past him and into the barn just as the wind started to pick up. The wind rattled the wooden doors, making it impossible to close. Naruto pushed hard against the wind closing one door. He grabbed the handle of the other door and pulled it shut, latching them shut with a thick wooden board he found nearby.

"Whoo!" Naruto stepped back with a loud sigh. "How was that, huh?"

Neji was standing in the middle of the barn, shaking like a dog, trying to get dry. His scales were already dry; his mane the only thing still damp. He stood in the large puddle he made, trying to get the mud off his legs. It was really caked on.

Naruto sneezed. He looked like he had just climbed out of a swimming pool, completely soaked. He took off his jacket and wrung it out where he stood. He reached inside and took out the map. The edges were damp, but the writing was unharmed. "Good, it's pretty dry." He set the map down on a pile of hay and continued to wring out his clothes. "I'm completely soaked, right down to the bone." He flapped his jacket out in the air. There was no way it would be dry anytime soon. He hung it up in a nail he found sticking out of a support beam near the door. There was a hook by the nail with an oil lamp hanging from it. He took it off the hook and held it out to the dragon. "Neji, would you mind?"

Neji blow out a small flame, lighting the lamp and giving them some light. There was only one window in the barn and that was up near the loft. It was far enough away that they didn't have to worry about it. Naruto shined the light around the barn. It was small, but big enough to accommodate the two of them. There were blocks of hay in the loft, taking up all the space. Even if Naruto climbed the ladder to get up there, there wouldn't be enough room for him to sleep, or even sit down. There were piles of hay everywhere else in the barn. There were barrels of water, too, which Neji was already drinking out of.

Thunder rumbled outside and the rain beat against the wooden barn, threatening those inside. The wind howled, aiding the rain in its attack on the barn. There was no way they were leaving tonight. Not in this storm. Naruto hung the lamp from the hook by his wet jacket. "Looks like we're staying here tonight."

He started to remove his pants and Neji gave a loud growl moving away from him.

"What? They're soaked! Want me to get a cold?" Naruto pulled off his pants and wrung them out before hanging them from another hook he found. "They should be dry by morning." Naruto stood in his boxers and undershirt, shivering. He looked around for the bag and opened it up. He pulled out the heavy wool blanket Seji had given to them. "Perfect!" Naruto wrapped himself up in the blanket and snuggled into its warmth. The bag seemed to protect it from the rain, keeping it warm and dry.

Neji collapsed on a pile of hay ready to get some rest. Naruto hopped over to him and laid down on Neji's torso. He curled up into a ball, trying to keep warm. Neji wrapped his tail around Naruto like a cocoon, trying to help him keep warm. If it weren't for his help, he would still be out there in the mud and rain. He owed him this much.

Using Neji's shoulder as a pillow, Naruto bid Neji good-night and burrowed into the wool blanket. "We'll leave in the morning when it stops raining. Night, Neji."

The dragon snorted his good-night and rested his head near Naruto's. They left the lamp burning all night, drying the wet clothes hanging up on hooks and nails, leaving still shadows on the dark walls.

* * *

Aw, bonding ^-^

Please review!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

The rain had stopped by early morning, just before sunrise. It thundered through most of the night, the heavy rain flooding the dirt road, turning it into a giant muddy stream. The storm didn't bother the two in the barn. Naruto and Neji stayed nice and dry all night, lulled to sleep by the patter of the rain. Even in the wee hours of the morning, the rain trickled from the roof, acting as a lullaby to the dragon and ninja. They slept in that morning, not rousing until somewhere around eleven o'clock.

Naruto opened his eyes for a moment, then curled into a tight ball, snuggling up to Neji. After another minute, he opened his eyes again and looked around the barn. The lamp had burned out some time ago, but it was no longer needed. The barn was lit up with natural light from outside, coming in through the window by the loft. It was morning. He sat up with a yawn, stretching. As soon as his arms left the wool blanket, exposed to the cool damp air, Naruto quickly tucked them back inside.

"Brr..! It's freezing!" he shivered.

Neji opened his eyes and looked sleepily at Naruto.

"Morning." Naruto looked at his clothes still hanging from the hooks and nails on the support beam. "They should be dry by now." Wrapping the blanket around his body, Naruto crawled over Neji's tail and hopped over to his clothes. He reached out and felt them with his hand. They were dry. He quickly left the wool blanket and got dressed in a hurry, not wanting to stay in his boxers for long.

Neji was getting off the hay pile, stretching and yawning. He knew it was time to leave. From the sound of things, the rain had stopped and it was safe to leave. They shouldn't stay in this barn for very long. What if the owner came along and discovered them? Then again, this barn was in the middle of nowhere, not a single building around for miles. Could this have been abandoned? This wasn't the time to think about such things. They had to get going. As soon as Naruto was dressed, Neji stood by the door and waited.

"Coming, coming." Naruto picked up the map, stuck it back into his pocket, packed up the wool blanket in the brocade bag and fastened it to his back. "Alright, let's go." He opened the barn doors and stepped into the sunlight.

The ground was still damp and there were many puddles and thick patches of mud. Squinting, Naruto closed the door after Neji was safely outside and walked along side him back to the road. The map told them to head toward the hills so that's where they went.

The hills provided plenty of cover from watchful eyes, but it had little of offer in terms of food. The two were quite hungry. There were very few trees and no streams for them to fish or drink. Still, they walked. Neither one had ever ventured out in this direction before. These villages and hills were all new to them. They weren't sure what to expect. The more they walked, the hungrier they became.

"I'd kill for a ramen right now…" Naruto whined. "Right now, I'd be sitting down at Ichiraku's eating a big bowl of barbeque pork ramen, veggie free… Big boiled eggs, tender noodles… fish cakes… and that seasoning that just makes it so…"

Neji growled loudly, shooting him a look. His stomach was growling just as loud as the thunder last night. Neither one of them had eaten anything since mid afternoon yesterday.

"Sorry… I'm just so hungry..!" Naruto whined louder than before. "I'm craving some chicken ramen… or salmon, or beef, or shrimp, or lobster, or duck ramen that he makes so perfect with the-"

Neji slapped him with his tail and growled loudly. His words were making him even hungrier.

"I can't help it! I'm starving! What I wouldn't do for some…" Naruto stopped, spotting something grazing on the hills. "Neji, look there."

On the hill just a short distance away was a small group of deer. There may have been four doe huddled together, nibbling at the grass. Neji's stomach started growling again. He hadn't had venison in a while. He was so hungry, he was more than willing to have a taste.

"We could eat one of those, do you think?" Naruto seemed to be thinking out loud to himself, forgetting that Neji was standing right beside him. "But those are fast. They're not the same as fish… I don't know if I could catch them. They'll run the second we get close."

Neji swallowed, hunger getting the better of him. The deer really looked good.

Naruto turned to him. "You wanna give it a shot?"

He nodded. He was more than willing to try to catch one of them. If Shikamaru were here, it would be so much easier. Neji was sure that they could do it as a team, but as a ninja not as a dragon. He was far too big. They would spot him in an instant and run off. They were on a hill, too, which made it even harder to sneak up on them. They had no equipment, either. Naruto only had his kunai on him and that bag Seji gave to him. Not too useful in this situation.

None of that mattered. Nothing would get done if they just stood there and didn't do anything. Neji crept around the side of the hill, getting into position. Naruto in the meantime used the transformation jutsu to disguise himself as a deer and sneak up on them that way.

The little buck trotted over to the group of deer very slowly. The deer looked up all at once and stared at him. Sensing there was something different about this deer, they stood very still, watching. As the new deer approached, they started to turn away and leave. The buck followed, corralling them. They moved aside. He followed. Then when they were in position, fleeing down the hill, the buck disappeared in a puff of chakra and a teenaged boy stood in its place. Seeing the human, the doe scrambled down the hill, running from him.

With a loud roar, Neji grabbed one of the passing doe in his jaws and lifted it off the ground. The other deer ran past, leaving the one behind. There was nothing they could do. Neji's jaws clamped down on the doe. He shook his head from side to side, harshly and released the deer, slamming it into the side of the hill. Naruto slid down the hill, stopping just short of the dead deer.

"Alright! Breakfast!" He did feel a little sorry for the deer, but hunger won out over pity.

They dragged the deer over to a flat surface at the base of the hills and set to work. Naruto took out a knife and started skinning the deer. It immediately started bleeding, staining the earth a deep red color. Naruto stood back slightly to avoid the blood and kept cutting.

Getting frustrated, he tossed down the knife and wiped his brow with his sleeve. "This is gonna take forever." Neji started making a hissing noise and he looked up. "Neji?"

The dragon blew out a large flame at the carcass. Naruto jumped aside just in time. The flames engulfed the deer, swirling around, burning the hair and skin away. The flesh started to cook faster than expected. Naruto sat back and watched Neji work, roasting the deer for their meal. His dragon flames made short work of it. Within fifteen minutes, the deer was thoroughly cooked and ready for eating.

"Yum!" Naruto wiped the kunai off on his pant leg and cut himself a large piece of meat. He held it from the knife, inhaling the aroma. "Mmm..! Smells good." It was still sizzling, thick trails of steam slithering into the air from the meat. Naruto blew on it to cool it off. "Go ahead, Neji. Eat your…"

Neji grabbed the deer in his teeth and started to strip the flesh from its bones. In two bites, he claimed the deer's hind legs and half its torso. With another bite, he chomped off the deer's ribs. With another, he took off the deer's front leg. Now only the head and one leg remained.

"… fill."

Neji looked at the remains of the deer, realizing that he had eaten more than his fair share of the meal. He gave Naruto a sheepish look. Then he started eying the remains longingly.

He had been carrying Naruto all this time and he was much bigger. Naruto waved at the deer head and leg. "Go ahead. I have this." Naruto held up his chuck of meat which was finally starting to cool.

Happily, Neji finished off the deer in two bites. He waited for Naruto to finish his share, licking his lips.

After the short meal, Naruto and Neji stood and started on their way again. That chunk of deer meat was just enough to tie him over for now, but Naruto still wanted more. Perhaps they would come across more on their journey. It was worth hoping.

The hills rose from the ground like camel humps, providing them with plenty of cover. Naruto pulled out the map every now and then to see if they were heading the right way. According to the map, they were. Getting tired of walking, Naruto climbed back onto Neji and rode him for a bit. They came to a stream and stopped for a drink. After Naruto filled his gourd, he climbed back onto Neji and rode him through the water to the other side. Neji stamped his feet in the water, trying to wash off the remaining mud before stepping back onto land.

"We should get to the next village by tomorrow. Or maybe even tonight if we're lucky." Naruto waited for Neji to respond but he never did. To get his attention, Naruto reached up and started to scratch behind Neji's ear. "You listening?"

Neji's legs wobbled and his head tilted back. Naruto stopped and Neji seemed to return to normal.

"It's kind of like what happened before when I scratched your neck, isn't it..?" Which, naturally, gave him an idea. "So…" He started scratching Neji's ear again. His legs wobbled again and his head rocked, tilting to one side, giving Naruto easier access. "Haha, you like that, huh? Don't you, Neji?"

He started scratching Neji with both hands. Climbing up Neji's neck, he started to scratch the side of his head. He scratched his neck and his jaw line and behind his ears. Neji made loud purring noises and toppled over. Neji lay on the road on his side, purring loudly.

Naruto crawled around from behind him, laughing. "I think we found your sweet spot. You're just like a dog."

Neji recovered, turning his head to the side and tried to look as respectful as possible, as if the event had no effect on him whatsoever.

"Aw, don't be like that. I know you like it." Naruto stepped in front of him to scratch under Neji's chin. His almond eyes rolled back in his head and his back leg started to kick. He made loud purring sounds, shutting his eyes while Naruto tickled him. Enjoying this as much as Neji, Naruto strayed from his neck and scratched everywhere he could get his hands on. He scratched behind Neji's ears, down his jaw and under his chin and along his long neck while he purred. "Haha! You like that, don't'cha? Who's a big, scary dragon? Huh? Who's a big, scary dragon?"

Neji pulled himself free from Naruto and wiggled his long body. He looked insulted as well as happy. He liked being scratched like that, but he didn't like being patronized. For a full minute, Naruto had forgotten that this was Neji and was treating him like a common house pet. He didn't intend on it. It just happened.

Naruto stood up, trying to act like it never happened. "Uh, sorry about that. Sorry."

After that, Neji wouldn't let him back on and walked by himself down the long dirt path, leaving Naruto to follow.

* * *

After a while, the two had come across a wide lake. It stretched on for what seemed like miles, disappearing into the hills and trees. Neji looked across the water. Going through it was the fastest way to continue on their path. Going around it would take too long and there was no way of knowing where they would end up if they strayed from the path. He would have to swim it.

Naruto stood beside him, unsure. He could swim, but the problem was not only this distance but the vital item tucked away in his pocket. He couldn't risk the precious map getting wet. It would be ruined. If it got wet, it would surely fall apart and the writing would be illegible even if it did stay together. Perhaps if he carried it in his teeth? No, that wouldn't work, either.

Neji lowered his body, allowing Naruto to climb on. He knew it was the only way. Naruto quickly climbed onto his back. "Don't worry, I won't tickle you again." Neji slapped him with his tail again.

He started to wade into the water. The lake was shallow at first, only reaching his knees. Then as they walked further, the water rose to Neji's back. Naruto tucked his legs up to escape the water. It rose even higher. Quickly, he climbed up Neji's neck as it rose higher still. Gripping Neji's horns with both hands, Naruto clung to the dragon's large head, successfully escaping the water. Neji swam across the lake with Naruto riding on his head. His feet could barely touch the bottom, doing the dog paddle across.

Naruto looked at the shore getting closer every minute. This wasn't very fast, but at least he was dry and so was the map. "How are you holding up, Neji?"

He snorted loudly, keeping his head above the water.

"Just hang in there. We're almost to the other side." Naruto watched the shore eagerly. He gripped Neji's horns tightly. They felt like the horns of a ram, small grooves wrapping around them. Naruto could barely get his hands around them, they were so thick. Daring, he reached up with one hand to feel the sharp tip of Neji's left horn. It felt like the tip of a bull's horn. "These things are so cool."

Neji didn't seem to mind. Naruto began to wonder if Neji could even feel his touch. He started to wonder a lot of things.

"What do you think they're doing now?"

Neji snorted, questioningly.

"I mean the others back home. Like out teams. I've been thinking about Sakura a lot lately. I still hope she isn't mad about me ditching her… even though it is technically your fault. I was also wondering about Kakashi-sensei. And Sai, too…" Naruto pulled himself up a little higher onto Neji's head. "What about you? Have you been thinking about your team, too? I know I asked you before but still. Do you miss them?"

Again Neji had mixed feelings about it. Being a Jonin meant that he had to leave the village on a regular basis to go on dangerous missions. Many of those times required him to leave his team behind. They worked well together, so sometimes on missions he would miss them in that regard. It was hard getting a feel for how other people like to work and their strengths in battle, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. He had also grown fond of his teammates over the years, becoming good friends with them. He missed them when he was away for a long period of time.

But again, this situation was different. He didn't choose to leave. He was forced to do so and he couldn't go back until he was cured. He wasn't welcome home as he was. Naruto was free to go back anytime he wished. He chose to stay by his side and aid him as much as he could. If they couldn't find a cure, nothing changed for Naruto. He could go home and return to his old life. Neji wouldn't be so lucky. This changed everything. This wasn't the same as going away on a mission and coming back when it was done. This was very different. If they didn't succeed, he may never return to his home ever again. He may never see Tenten and Lee again. Or Gai, or Hinata or his uncle or anyone in the Hyuga clan. This curse really complicated things. He had left his old life right in the middle and may never be able to pick up where he left off. It was heartbreaking.

Naruto's hand stroked Neji's forehead, just beside the pearl embedded in his skull. "Don't worry. We'll see them again. We'll get you fixed up and then we'll tell them all about this. They'll never believe us, but it'll make a good story, don't you think?"

Hearing those comforting words made Neji smile faintly. Naruto had confidence that everything was going to be ok. He believed that there was a cure out there for him. They could go home one day. Everything could be fixed. That bout of cheer helped guide Neji to the other side of the lake in ten minutes flat.

He stepped onto the shore and shook his body dry, letting Naruto slide down his neck and off his back. Naruto checked to make sure the map was safe and dry. It was wrinkled but unharmed. "Let's get going, Neji." Naruto led the way up the short hill and onto a grassy field.

The field stretched for at least two miles from where they stood. Beyond that were more hills. The sky was beginning to look like an underwater painting. The blue color was much darker and grayer now. It would be sunset soon.

"Time really flies, doesn't it? We'd better hurry."

They crossed the field together and headed into the hills. The hills started to close in around them like thick grassy walls. Then the ground flattened out and they came across another field. This one of wheat. A wheat field must have meant that the village was close by. Maybe if they hurried, they could reach it by sunset. Naruto climbed back onto Neji and rode through the golden wheat field, taking in the smell of dirt and grass. Naruto reached into the field and pulled out a long strand of wheat and started playing with it while Neji walked. The wheat was tall, reaching Neji's shoulder and over his back in some areas. He kept his head up to avoid the tops, tickling his nose and neck.

By the time they exited the field, much time had passed. They continued their walk, following their shadows, stretching like giants on the ground in front of them. The sun was setting. They wouldn't reach the village by night like they had wanted. After that long swim and the even longer walk, Neji was starting to feel a little tired. They made it to the tall hills without seeing a single building. Wheat growing that finely must have belonged to someone. Whoever they were, they weren't going to be found tonight.

Naruto flopped down at the base of a steep hill with a loud sigh. "We'll stay here for the night, Neji. We'll get to the village in the morning."

He didn't complain. Neji flopped down heavily right next to him for some much needed rest. Naruto pulled off the bag he had been carrying and opened it up, taking out the wool blanket. He wrapped it around his body just as the last bits of orange disappeared from the sky and the temperature dropped. He snuggled up next to Neji and tried to get to sleep. Neji wrapped his long tail around Naruto, helping block out the cool air and freezing winds. Neji didn't need a blanket. He was fine as he was.

_Tenten… Lee… I'm coming home. Wait for me just a little longer_… Neji shut his eyes tight. _We'll be at the village tomorrow… One step closer to our goal_.

Naruto was already snoring, using Neji's body as a pillow, blanket wrapped tightly around his body.

_Rest up, Naruto. We're not there yet. Just a little longer_… Just a bit longer and he could go home. They could both go home. Together.

* * *

Friendship!

Please review! ^-^


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**:

Birds were chirping overhead, flocking to their nests in the morning light. The sun had risen some time ago, but shadows still covered the dragon and ninja sleeping on the ground, nestled between two large hills. A bird perched on Neji's horn, grooming his wing. Neji did not move. He knew the bird was on his head and didn't want to frighten it off. A bird had never landed on him before. Resting on his horn, Neji didn't feel its touch, hearing only its tiny talons scratching against his horn. When he finally did move, the bird fluttered off, as he expected it would.

It was a beautiful morning. Cast in shadow, they didn't have the harsh sun in their eyes this morning and were able to rest a bit longer. Neji had wanted to get going as soon as possible; by dawn if they were able. However, Naruto was sleeping in for the second day in a row. Neji had to wonder why he slept so much. He was the one carrying him around everywhere. He should have been the one in need of rest, not Naruto. But as long as he was asleep, he was quiet which made him more tolerable.

As time went on, Neji grew even more restless. He had been awake for some time and wanted to go. The village must have been close. He could smell smoke from chimneys and livestock which meant that there was a village nearby. Neji sniffed Naruto's hair, breathing hard to rouse him. Naruto didn't move. Neji snorted roughly, blowing the wool blanket off his shoulders. Naruto pulled the blanket back around him and turned over. Next, Neji did the only other thing he could to do wake him. He stood up. His pillow now gone, Naruto fell onto the ground, instantly waking up.

"Ouch..!" He rubbed the back of his head, looking around. He saw Neji towering over him and pouted. "Couldn't you have thought of a more gentle way to wake me up?"

Neji ignored him and started stretching. He gave his long body a shake, ruffling his mane. Naruto stretched and started to pack up the blanket in the brown bag. He strapped on the bag and called for Neji.

"Come on. We should get there pretty soon."

They walked through the hills, rising high like giant camel humps on either side. For quite sometime, they were traveling without the aid of a road, making their own path between the tall hills. Then the hills started to smooth out. They stepped out into bright sunlight, their shade left behind. When Naruto's eyes adjusted, he saw something in the distance. A gathering of wooden houses and acres of farmland, fenced in by tall trees and hills.

"What?!" Naruto grumbled loudly. "You mean if we had kept walking just ten more minutes, we would have gotten to the village? Are you kidding me?!"

Neji nudged Naruto in the back with his nose.

"Yeah, yeah, you're right. We're here now." He sighed heavily. "Well, let's get there and get something to eat. I've starving to death."

They started down the long dirt road at the base of the hills and headed straight to the village. It was a town, from what they saw. It was a bit larger than the other village they had come from and this one had a lot more land by the looks of things. The farmland was on the right and the town was on the left of the road. There were buildings on either side, but more on the left which were closely packed together. Naruto was eager to get there. With so much food, they should be willing to give some to a couple weary travelers.

Naruto heard a clacking coming from behind. He ignored it at first, but then it grew louder. He turned. A large wooden cart was speeding right toward him from down the road. Within moments it was right on top of him. He yelped, tensing up just as Neji grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him out of the way. The cart sped by with the boy driving it calling out to them angrily. "Get out of the road! What's the matter with you?!"

Naruto started thrashing, but Neji held him back, jacket still in his teeth. "What's the matter with you, you stupid jerk?!" Naruto shouted back. After the cart had disappeared from sight, Neji let go. "You saw him! You saw what he did!" Naruto ranted to the dragon. "He almost ran me over! He saw me there. Jerk could have killed me!"

Neji rolled his eyes. As right as he was, it was doubtful that he would be killed by a speeding wooden cart driven by some impatient boy. Still, Naruto had every right to be angry. The boy could have stopped and shouldn't have been going that fast.

The dragon endured Naruto's ranting all the way to the town ahead. It was only mid morning, but the town was bustling and full of life. The delicious smells of baking bread and grilled meat made Neji's stomach growling noisily. As inviting as the smells were, Neji still hung back out of fear that this village wouldn't accept him as he was. The other village may have, but that didn't mean that this one would.

Naruto turned around and gave Neji a pat on the snout. "What's wrong with you? Come on. Let's get some food." Naruto led Neji into the village, foolishly believing that no one would take notice of the large dragon following him around.

Almost at once, the people on the street grew quiet and stared. The customers at shop windows stopped in the middle of their shopping to turn and gawk. Some went into buildings or hid around corners as the dragon passed by. A few people actually glared at him. Neji lowered his head, feeling self-conscious again. Some of the small children ran to their parents and hid behind their legs while others approached cautiously, staring open-mouthed at him.

"Oh, well," Naruto was saying. "Looks like this village doesn't have any parties going on tonight."

_That's what he's so concerned about?! _Neji wanted to make use of his fangs by biting him but doing so in a crowd such as this wouldn't be very helpful.

As they got further into the village, Naruto finally became aware of the awkward stares they were receiving from the locals. "What's up with these guys? You'd think they've never seen a dragon before."

_That's highly possible… They probably haven't_.

As they passed, some of the people returned to their business, looking up every now and again. Some of the curious children followed at a distance, still staring. Some parents held them back, discouraging against them getting any closer to the dragon or the boy accompanying him.

Shops with fresh meat hanging in the windows caught Naruto's attention and he started to cross the street over to one of the stores.

"Watch it!"

A wooden wheel ran over Naruto's foot and he and the driver were knocked off balance. "Ow!" Naruto hopped up and down, holding his foot.

"You should have looked!" shouted the driver.

"You should be more careful yourself!" The boy he was yelling at couldn't have been older than nineteen. He had straight black hair and a stained gray shirt. His hands were rough and he had a straw hat tied loosely around his slim neck. His sandals were worn and his legs were the same color as the dirt road. The wooden cart he was pulling behind him was carrying a large supply of melons and corn. That's when Naruto noticed something crucial. "Hey, wait a minute! You're that guy from before! The one who almost killed me on the street!"

"Would you not shout like an idiot?" the boy grumbled. "You shouldn't have been in the middle of the street like that."

"Where do you get off calling other people idiots? You're the one who should have watched where he was going."

"You shouldn't have been standing there with your pet lizard."

Naruto looked at Neji and then back at the boy. "He's a dragon."

"Sure, he is."

"He is!"

"Then why isn't he flying? All dragons fly."

"He can! He… just doesn't feel like it. He doesn't like flying."

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Naruto growled back, stomping his foot on the ground. "Hey, come on! He's only been a dragon for a couple of days! Get off his back."

The boy rolled his eyes, checking the wheels of his cart. "Whatever. I thought you ninja were supposed to be stealthy and quiet."

"Ah," Naruto puffed out his chest. "So you noticed that I'm a ninja."

"Yeah. I saw the headband. We don't get too many of you around here." The boy started to turn his cart a little to the side, away from Naruto. "We don't need help from your kind. We can actually handle ourselves and don't need to pay someone else to do our jobs for us." The boy grabbed his cart and drove away, never giving Naruto the opportunity to shout back.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" Naruto tilted his head to one side.

_It's obvious that this village had some bad blood with ninja. They clearly don't think too highly of us. This boy alone seems to hate us without being provoked_. Unfortunately, all Neji could do was grunt and snort while trying to explain it to Naruto. The sooner this curse was lifted, the better.

After the boy had left, Naruto and Neji continued on their way. People still stared and shied away from them. Neji felt very uncomfortable here. This town was not as colorful and lively as the other village they had come from. This one was the color of dried mud, dull and faded brown. The people here were even more so. No one laughed while the boy and the dragon were present. They only stared. Right away Neji got the impression that this wasn't a very friendly village at all. Did everyone here not like ninja like that boy, or were they nervous about having a dragon in their midst? He chose to ignore them as best he could.

Soon, he became aware that someone was following them rather closely. Neji stopped. The tiny footsteps behind him stopped at the same time. He started walking again and the footsteps resumed, moving five times as fast as he was. He stopped again and, this time, looked to see who it was. A little girl was standing behind him, clutching the fabric of her purple dress nervously with both hands. She was unlike the rest of people here in that she was much brighter than they were. She had rosy cheeks and big brown eyes, the color of sweet chocolate. Even meeting the dragon's eyes, the girl did not shy away. Neji faced forward and started walking. The girl followed. Again he stopped and turned around. She was still there, staring at him.

By this time, Naruto had noticed that Neji was behaving strangely and turned around. "What's the matter? Why do you keep stopping?" He saw the little girl walking beside Neji's hind legs. "Oh, hey there."

She looked up at Naruto quickly then looked back at the dragon. "Is this yours?" she asked timidly.

Naruto looked at Neji and then back at the girl. "I guess you could say that. He's my friend."

"Is he a real dragon? Like the ones from my books?"

It was difficult to answer. But this girl was young so Naruto didn't bother explaining the facts to her. He just gave her the short answer. "Sure is. He's a dragon alright."

"Can I pet him?" she asked innocently.

"Sure. Go for it."

Neji stayed perfectly still while the little girl reached out and stroked the scales on his leg. The sleeve of her dress rolled up as she reached forward, revealing her sliver bracelet. It was rather worn and the color was faded. It looked as if paint had been splattered onto it at a certain point. She was young so it was very possible that she didn't keep track of her things very well. Little kids were always messy. She must have been around five years old, possibly four. She stroked him gently with her fingers a few times then pulled away. "Thank you."

"Sure thing." Naruto had a sudden thought as his stomach growled. "Do you know any good places to eat around here?" he asked the little girl.

She pointed further ahead. "There's lots of places over there."

"Thanks." The girl watched them walk away then left herself, happy to have touched her first dragon. Naruto could smell the food before he saw it. Then he found it. There were produce stands lining the right side of the street under thin fabric canopies. One stand had large melons stacked up in tricolor pyramids, round and juicy. Tasting them already, Naruto ran over to the stand and picked up a large watermelon, half the size of his torso, in both hands. He thumped the melon with his finger, listening to the hollow echo. This one was perfect.

A hand reached out and slapped his wrist.

"Ouch!" He dropped the melon onto the table. "What is with everyone hitting me today?"

The brown man behind the counter leaned forward, glaring at him. "You might want to pay for that before you try eating it. Cash only, of course. No I.O.U's, like some deadbeat idiots."

Naruto felt around in his pockets for some spare change. Nothing. No wallet and no change. "I don't have cash."

"Then you ain't getting no melon. Move along."

"Oh, come on! I'm starving!"

"Not my problem. Come back with cash, then we'll talk."

"You don't have to be such a jerk about it, you-" Neji picked Naruto up by the collar of his jacket and carried him away from the stand, kicking and screaming. "Put me down, Neji!"

_It's obvious that he's not going to give us his largest melon for free, you idiot. Though I have to agree, he could have been nicer about it_.

"I know he probably wouldn't give it to us for free, but come on! One melon didn't kill anybody! If he had been nicer about it, I wouldn't have lost my temper." Neji set Naruto down in the middle of the street. He fixed his jacket and brushed himself off. "Fine, fine… I'm sure there are plenty of other places around here that will take pity on a couple of hungry traveler."

Doors to restaurants and small shops slammed in their faces and curtains fell around every produce stand they went begging to. In this village, there was no such thing as a free lunch. No one would take pity on them. The boy and his dragon were not welcomed here without money.

The pain in Naruto's empty stomach and the constant slamming doors sent him into a fit. He was ready to lose his temper and kick the doors down just to get a morsel for food to wet his appetite. Once again, Neji had to hold him back. Frustrated and hungry, Naruto stormed away in an angry huff. From the street he spotted the farmland adjacent to the town they were standing in. His hopeful smile was back and he gave a little chuckle. "Well, if these guys can't be bothered, I know one other place we can go to for food."

Surely the farm, with such a wide variety for foods, would have something to spare. Naruto led the way across the street and over to the farm on the other side, suddenly full of energy. Naruto kept his eyes on the farmhouse poking out from the tall stalks of corn, licking his lips. In the meantime, Neji got a good look of the land.

This side of the street proved to be no better than the other in terms of color and cheer. It was just as brown as the town. The only source of color came from the red and green tomatoes and the cornstalks. Even the melons on the ground were just as muddy as the earth itself. Everything was covered in mud. The wooden fence keeping hungry creatures at bay around the land were the color of dried mud and soil. The ground under his feet was very uneven, hard and thick. No grass grew here. It became clear to Neji why this was so. In order to coax any sort of crop out of the stubborn land, it had to be flooded with water. The hot sun dried the mud onto the land, the wood and the plants, resulting in this mess. The farmland was vast, but that may have been because it wasn't very fruitful. Given the ratio, the farmer must have had to plant more crops just to make a halfway decent harvest, making up for what didn't grow in this land. So far, many of the crops appeared plentiful, but there must have been high demand. It was times like this Neji was glad he wasn't a farmer.

"Finally!" Naruto exhaled loudly, seeing the farmhouse come into view. Just like the fields, mud had been tracked to the farmhouse and dried in the hot sun, turning it the same shade of faded brown.

There was no one on the porch and no one moving in the windows. The house seemed empty. They heard a whacking sound coming from behind the wooden fence. Naruto moved closer while Neji stayed behind. If there was someone there, he didn't want to frighten them.

Hacking away at the crops with a hand scythe was, who Naruto hoped to be, the farmer. He had on a worn straw hat and stained clothes. He stood on the dry muddy land in bare feet with his back turned to Naruto.

"Hey, farmer guy," Naruto called. The man looked up. "This stuff's all yours, right?"

The farmer stopped what he was doing and walked over the weed covered land over to him. He took off his hat for a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead. His face was brown and sunken in. There were wrinkled lines on either side of his mouth and on his forehead. He put his hat back on with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, this is my land." His voice was rough and tired. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," Naruto beamed at him, thinking they were going to get a free meal. "I was wondering if you could get me and my friend something to eat."

"Your friend, eh?" The farmer looked around the corner of the corn field and saw the dragon. He flinched but didn't cry out. He looked the dragon up and down then back at the blond boy. "This is your friend?"

"Uh-huh. So can we have something to eat, please?"

The farmer leaned against the wooden fence with another sigh. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that."

"What? Why not?" Naruto whined.

"I just can't give you any of my crops for free."

"Come on. You've got so much."

"I'm sorry but I can't spare you any."

Naruto started begging. "Please? Come on, we've been wandering around for days! We haven't had anything to eat since yesterday morning. Please? Just a little bit?"

The farmer was vehement about not giving away his crops, which he worked so hard to grow. No matter how much Naruto pleaded, he still refused.

"Please? Just one melon? I'll settle for a tomato. Your smallest."

"No. I'm sorry, but I cannot spare any of it. You'll have to try your luck in town."

"We just came from there and they sent us away. Please! We're starving!"

Still the farmer refused. He had nothing to spare them.

"But you have tons! Why can't you give us just one little tiny tomato?"

Neji looked the farmer up and down. Through the damp spots on the man's sweaty shirt, he could see the man's ribs. He saw the man's boney hands and how warn-out he looked. This man was a poor farmer. He may have grown a lot of crops, but this man was starving. He was weak and just as worn out as the torn, stained clothes on his back. Neji understood. Everything he grew here went to the town across the street. Very little he got to keep for himself. This poor man worked so hard and had little to show for it. Just a thin worn body. He couldn't spare anything for them because he had nothing to spare.

Before Naruto could throw a temper tantrum, Neji picked him up by the back of his jacket and pulled him away from the farmer. They would achieve nothing here. As Neji carried Naruto away from the farmer, he couldn't help but feel sorry for him. Naruto claimed that they were starving when in fact it was the farmer himself who was on death's door.

Neji set Naruto down by the gate and nudged him to go across the street. They would get no food here.

"We could just pick an ear of corn from over the fence. He won't notice."

Neji pushed Naruto away, discouraging it. As hungry as he was, they were not about to steal from this land.

As they left, the boy with the cart wheeled up to the gate and slowed down. He glared at the boy and the dragon leaving the farm. Once they made it back onto the street, Neji looked back and saw the boy pulling his wooden cart up the dried mud path, calling to his father.

Back in town, Naruto paced up and down the street, trying to ignore his grumbling belly. They had to get something to eat, but this village wouldn't give them the time of day. Their only option was to try their luck elsewhere. Maybe they would run into more deer and roast another up for lunch.

Just as they were about to leave, Naruto heard someone yell from within a building. He rushed over to one of the restaurants, peering in through an open side door. There was a man inside, whom Naruto assumed was the owner, yelling to his staff. "What's going on?"

The plump man, turned and frowned at Naruto. "What are you doing here, kid? Get lost!"

"Not until I know why you're yelling so much."

He rolled his eyes. "If you must know, our heat source is down. Busted up real good."

"Heat source?"

"It provides heat to everything in the kitchen, from the oven to the stoves. Without it, we have no way to cook any of the dishes," said one of the cooks. "Looks like all we can give the customers is salad until we can get it fixed."

"Do you know how much business we would lose?!" shouted the owner. "Plus we can't get the guy who can fix it to come in until the afternoon and he'll charge me the morning's profits to do it! I'll lose even more money!"

"Sorry, boss, but we can't serve anything hot to the people without something to cook it. Stoves and ovens are all busted."

Lady luck was smiling down on them that very moment. Time to turn someone's misfortune into good fortune for him and the dragon. Naruto stepped forward, smiling. "I think I can help with that."

"Oh, really?" The owner sounded skeptic. "Don't tell me to rub two sticks together to make fire. We'd need a lot more heat than that."

"No problem." Naruto opened the door wide and showed everyone the dragon standing behind him. "I think a dragon's flame will suffice."

The cooks gathered around the door, gawking at the large reptile standing behind the boy. "You really think your lizard will be able to help with this?"

"Dragon," Naruto corrected. "He's a dragon. And yeah, I totally think he can."

The owner didn't like the idea but he was out of options. It was either let the dragon unleash its fire or lose the day's profits. He wasn't about to lose money when there was a possible solution standing in his doorway. "Alright, kid. I guess he can work."

"Not so fast." Naruto wasn't done. "On one condition."

"I knew there was a catch," the owner grumbled. "What do you want?"

"We'll work for food," he answered matter-of-factly. "Neji and I work for you until you can get your stoves and stuff fixed and you give us something to eat."

Sounded pretty fair, but the owner liked the idea of giving a couple of strangers free food almost as much as losing money for the day. Still, he had little choice.

"So do we have a deal?" Naruto asked. "We work for a day and you give us some food. Deal?"

"Yeah, yeah, sure." The owner jerked a thumb at one of the cooks over his shoulder. "Get this kid an apron and put 'em to work."

"Yes, sir."

Naruto turned to Neji, bouncing with excitement. All they had to do was work and they would get a meal. This was a great idea.

Since the dragon was too big to fit inside the restaurant, the staff had to work together to come up with a solution to the problem. Two of the cooks along with Naruto built an impromptu fire pit behind the kitchen and the other chefs carried out their uncooked meat to be roasted. Using his flame, Neji set the meat ablaze, cooking it quickly. A dragon's fire was perfect for cooking things quickly and thoroughly. The cooks were able to carry out the dishes to the customers in record time thanks to Neji. Naruto helped build a makeshift oven out of stones and had Neji breathe his fire directly into the stone box he created to bake the breads and pies. Naruto also helped out in the kitchen, carrying uncooked meat out to Neji and cutting up vegetables when he wasn't needed.

They worked for hours. Neji had never used so much fire before. He was starting to wear down after keeping at it for four hours straight. Thankfully, the repairman arrived and set to work fixing the problem inside. The sun was starting to get lower in the sky. It would be sunset soon. Neji's stomach grumbled loudly. All this work would be worth it when they finally got their meal.

The repairman left and the ovens and stoves were all functioning the way they used to. Neji stopped heating the fire pit and stamped out what remained of the fire when it was no longer needed. Naruto finished mixing his last salad and went outside to see how Neji was doing. He was tired from working but other than that he was fine. The two stood outside, waiting for the owner to give them their reward.

"I'm so hungry. We worked really hard, he's bound to give us a big meal. Oh, I can picture it now."

The owner stepped outside, nodding his head. "You two did a good job. I was able to keep everyone happy today and now our heat source is fixed."

Naruto bounced in place, biting his lip. He was ready for their meal, wondering what they were going to get. Maybe some smoked ham and a big baked potato dripping in butter. Or crab over a bed or hot rice. Or some udon. He watched Neji cook a whole pot of it and it looked magnificent.

"You may go now."

"Huh?!" Naruto stopped daydreaming about his food and stared wide-eyed at the man. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, get out. Leave. Go. Now. Get."

"But what about our meal? You promised."

"I promised no such thing. Now leave."

"You can't do that!" Naruto shouted, taking a step towards the man. This time Neji didn't hold him back. He was just as outraged as he was. This man promised them food and he went back on his word after they had worked all afternoon for him for free. "We worked all day long! You said you'd give us something to eat!"

"Things change. Besides, you really think I'll just give away my precious food to you people?" he laughed. "I have to make a living somehow."

"You don't exactly look like you've missed any meals yourself!" Naruto shouted at the plump man. "We worked hard! Both of us did! You said you'd give us something to eat!"

"Hey, you offered. I never gave you my word and we never shook on it. No deal."

"You said it was a deal! Come on, we're starving! Just give us something!"

The owner turned back into the building. He looked over his shoulder at them and pointed to the street. "Get going before I have you thrown out of here." He slammed the door shut.

Naruto went into a rage and started kicking at the door and pounded it with his fists. "You lying son of a..! Open this door right now! Get out here!" He pounded the door until his hands were sore and stepped away, breathing hard. He looked from the door to Neji and back to the door, panting. He looked at his red hands and yelled one last time at the locked door. "Liar!" Then he turned and looked Neji in the eye. "Sorry, Neji. I tried. I really thought he would give us something."

Naruto had nothing to be sorry about as far as Neji was concerned. That owner was simply dishonest and greedy. It wasn't Naruto's fault. He was actually trying to be honest and do honest work. They waited outside the door for another minute, hoping to get someone's pity and be brought food but it never happened. Their only other option was to go in there and take it by force, but neither one of them was willing to do it. These people already looked at them as if they were carrying the plague. Breaking into a man's place of business to steal food wasn't going to make the villagers see them in a positive light.

They turned to leave, giving to door one final look. No one was coming. They walked into the street and kept walking. This village wasn't going to do anything for them. No handouts and no honesty. They would have better luck walking around in the middle of nowhere.

"Hey, wait!" a little girl's voice called.

Naruto and Neji turned. It was that same little girl from before. She ran up to them, her purple dress fluttering behind her like wings. She reached out for Naruto. He bent down and she grabbed his hand, placing something into his palm. It was warm, round and flat. He opened his hand and looked down at the single coin the girl had given to him.

"Go ahead, take it," she said.

Naruto held the single coin between his thumb and index finger. "What's this for?"

"My mom gave it to me to get candy." This young girl was given an allowance. Once a week, she was given a coin for good behavior by her parents. Normally she took the coin and spent it on candy at the store or saved up to get a new doll. Today, she was on her way to the candy store when she heard Naruto yelling at the restaurant owner, having been cheated out of a promised meal. Taking pity on them, she decided that this coin should be spent on something more important.

"You can't give me this," Naruto told her, trying to give it back.

"I want you to have it. The owner of that place is really mean. He said he'd give you food and he didn't. And you don't have any money of your own, right? So I want you to have it." She closed Naruto's hand with the coin safely in his palm and pushed it into his chest. "Now you've been paid for your hard work."

Naruto didn't know what to say. This girl had just given him all the money she had because a selfish owner decided to go back on his word. This little girl was the purest thing in this whole muddy town. Taking the coin, still hot in his hand, and placing it carefully into his pocket, Naruto looked at the girl. "Thanks. That's very nice of you. You have a big heart, don't you?"

She smiled at his praise.

Wishing there was something he could do to repay her, Naruto looked around for answers. He got his answer in the form of a scaly beast behind his back. "Say… since you were so nice to me… how would you like a ride on a dragon?"

The girl looked at him as if he had just offered her gold. "Really? I'd love it!"

"Alright." Naruto took her by the hand and led her over to Neji. Having seen the whole thing with his own eyes, Neji willingly bent down and allowed Naruto to place the girl onto his back. "Hold on," Naruto told her and the girl gripped Neji's mane with her tiny hands as he rose up. Walking beside him, Naruto led Neji around with the girl as if the dragon were a large horse. They went down the dirt path slowly.

The girl giggled and looked at the buildings passing them by which suddenly didn't seem so big anymore. This was her first time on a dragon and she was loving every second of it. She had never seen one in real life before today and now she was actually riding one. It was like a dream.

They walked to the edge of the village and then stopped. Neji bent down to let the little girl off. Naruto stood nearby, holding out his arms. "Alright, ride's over. We've got to get going."

The girl slid down Neji's back and into Naruto's arms. "That was fun! Thanks for the ride!" Naruto set her on the ground. She pet Neji's leg with her hand. "Are you guys going already?"

"Yeah, sorry. There's somewhere we need to go."

"Well, good luck and be careful. Thanks for the ride again."

"Sure thing. And thanks for the coin. That was very nice of you."

The girl hugged Naruto good bye, wrapping her arms around his knees. Then she stepped back and watched them leave the village with a sad smile. Naruto turned around and waved to her, walking backwards, and Neji waved with his tail. She waved back, calling out to them. "Good-bye, dragon! I'll miss you!"

Naruto finished waving and turned to Neji with an annoyed smile. "So you're the one she'll miss, huh? Guess I can't compete with a dragon."

The girl watched them until they disappeared behind a hill and returned to her family. They were never going to believe this.

* * *

Sweet girl ^-^

Any other thoughts about this village and its people? Why is it so muddy? Why are they so mean? Why don't they seem to like ninja? Hmm...

Please review anyway! ^-^


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**:

Village left far behind and young girl out of sight, Naruto climbed onto Neji's back, trying to rest after his long afternoon of work. With no food in his stomach, he barely had the strength to walk. Neji was regretting doing an honest day's now that they had no food to show for it. Maybe they should have taken some food. The cooks placed large quantities of meat in front of him all day long and he ate none of it. Maybe he should have sneaked a bite or two. Neji shook the idea from his mind. It was the same as stealing and it wouldn't make the agitated villagers see them in a better light. It was just the hunger talking. They had done the right thing by leaving before anything else could happen.

"Maybe we'll see some deer again," Naruto said from the dragon's back. "I'd eat just about anything right now."

Neji was trying very hard not to think about his hunger. Hearing Naruto's words only made him feel hungrier.

The hills started to flatten out and trees started to appear. They were nearing a wooded area. Naruto pulled out the map again to make sure they were going the right way. According to the map, they were heading in the right direction. However, the next village was even further away. Unless they could find food on the road, they were going to go hungry for the next day or so.

"You couldn't warn me before you carried me off, could you?" Naruto growled to Neji. "I could have grabbed my wallet and maybe some supplies so we wouldn't be starving like this. It's all your fault."

Neji bucked, flinging Naruto off his back with a roar. Naruto bounced off the ground on his hip and landed in the grass on his shoulder. Neji started scrapping the ground with his claws, snarling at him angrily. How dare Naruto blame him for all this? If Naruto hadn't gone into that shrine and bumped into that orb, none of this would have happened. They wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for him. If anything this was all Naruto's fault.

"Well, sorry!" yelled the blond ninja, getting to his feet. "But if we were better prepared, we wouldn't need to be going around begging people for food! Instead, we're out here with no food, no water, no money and no supplies! If it weren't for Seji, we wouldn't even have this bag! So far, he's the only one who bothered to help us! We've been lucky so far. But you saw that village! It was full of jerks and idiots!"

Not every village would be friendly. Seji's village was possibly one in a million. They were lucky to come to that one first. This village they were just leaving would probably be like the others they would come across. Naruto had experienced this before while on missions. But this was different. On missions, he was better prepared and often didn't have to speak to the residents. He never had to beg for food before and never traveled without money or supplies. On missions, often people would give him food out of courtesy. Traveling as they were now was very new to them and scary.

Naruto's anger calmed realizing that he was blaming the wrong person. It was beyond their control. It was spoken out of anger brought on by their hunger. "It's not your fault…"

Neji stopped baring his teeth.

"You really had no choice. It wasn't your fault. They ran you out of the village. It wasn't like they would stop to let us gather up some things. Even I didn't think we would go traveling like this. Sorry I snapped at you. It's really no one's fault."

Neji would have insisted that it was all because of Naruto's ignorance, but he didn't want to waste energy trying to convey that to him and accepted that it was the fault of no one.

"Either way, we're going to starve if we don't find any…"

Neji's head jerked around, looking at a tree near the road. A squirrel was scurrying up the tree, slowly spiraling around the trunk. Neji lunged himself at the tree, his jaws clamping down on the tree trunk. He pulled away, a furry tail hanging between his teeth. He swallowed.

"Whoa…" Naruto had never seen Neji do that before. Desperation knows no laws, he supposed. Neji was hungry enough to eat a live squirrel, showing just now desperate he was to stop the pain in his stomach.

He licked his lips and turned back to Naruto. Seeing the shocked look on his face, Neji looked away in embarrassment.

"I hope it tasted good," Naruto said to him. He walked beside Neji, ushering him down the road. "Come on. It'll be dark soon."

The sun was starting to set as they walked through the woods. Sadly, the trees offered them no food. Nothing was edible. Not even the mushrooms growing around the tree roots. Naruto rode on Neji's back through the trees, looking into the branches, hoping to see something growing. As the sky grew darker, it became harder to see so he gave up. It appeared that they would be sleeping under the stars again tonight.

The trees ended and they broke into a clear area. Naruto squinted in the dark, seeing something. "Hey, what's that?"

Neji, who had a better time seeing in the dark, carried Naruto over to the area in question. There were trees sheltering something which looked suspiciously like a house. The land was flat, but there were dark bumps in shadow which got Naruto's attention right away. It was a fenced in area forming a perfect box around the bumpy shadows. As they got closer, it became clear what they were looking at.

"Awesome!" Naruto jumped off Neji's back and hopped the fence into the garden. "Finally! Food!" Naruto bent down around the large melons and pumpkins, smelling them. He punched a hole in the first watermelon he got his hands on and started slurping up the sweet watery insides. He dug in with his hand, pulling out handfuls of melon and seeds. "This is sooo good!"

Neji stepped up to the fence, hanging his head over the railing and sniffed the melons. Naruto broke it in half and tossed it to him. Neji ate it, rind and all. He sniffed around and started to rip melons out of the ground, eating them whole. These were the sweetest melons he had ever eaten.

Naruto was already on his fourth, tossing the stripped rinds aside and diving into the new ones with his face, slurping and chomping noisily. "Maybe we should take two or three of these on the road with us…"

After eating through half the patch, Neji stopped and sniffed the air. He smelled smoke and there were thick puffs escaping from the roof of the house behind the garden. They weren't alone. Someone was here and something told Neji that they wouldn't take kindly to a couple of strangers eating through their fields. Neji pulled back and snorted to Naruto.

"What?"

Someone was home. They would be caught if they stayed here. They had to leave quickly. He started snorting and growling at Naruto, trying to get him to leave with him. He wasn't budging. Neji tugged on his jacket, pointing to the house with his nose, trying to make him understand.

"What are you saying?"

Neji didn't want to alert the people in the house so he kept his growls low and quiet. He kept pulling Naruto toward the fence, trying to get him to come, but he wouldn't leave the patch.

"What's the matter with you? What's wrong?"

"Who's out there?" came a loud voice from the house.

Naruto dropped the half eaten melon and jumped up. "Why didn't you say so?!"

"Who's there?! Show yourself!"

Naruto started to make his way through the patch when a light shined in their direction. "Get down!" Naruto flattened himself to the dirt, hiding from the light. Neji did the same, using the fence for cover. The light traveled in a straight line, going over the patch carefully and then swung back. They couldn't leave without being spotted. Another light joined the first coming from another direction. Naruto kept low to the ground, holding his breath.

"Is someone out there?"

"Did you find them?"

"No. You?"

"I don't see anybody. Are you sure there's someone there?"

"Positive. I heard them. There's at least two of them. I heard a voice."

"I heard that, too."

"What if they ran off?"

"Not that fast."

There were at least three of them. Naruto heard three distinct voices.

The light flashed overhead and Naruto's chin dug into the earth. The flashlight stopped by the fence. "I think I saw something," said one voice. "Something shiny."

_Neji! _Naruto peered near the fence. They must have caught a glimpse of that jewel on his forehead. He couldn't let them hurt Neji. He had to explain. As the men moved closer, Naruto sat up. "Uh, excuse me!" A flashlight shined in his face. He shielded his eyes with his sticky hand. "Uh, yeah, hi! Sorry about all this. Just grabbing a quick snack."

"I found him, Shi!" called a voice. Naruto watched the man's silhouette moved closer and then stop. "It's just a kid!"

Another man came over, shining his own light in Naruto's face. "He's wearing a headband. I think he's a ninja. Are you, kid?"

"I am. And my name's Naruto."

The second man lowered his flashlight and pulled Naruto to his feet but his sleeve. "What are you doing here? You lost or something?"

"Uh, no. I was just… We were really hungry and we saw this garden so we just…"

"We, huh? So you're not alone?"

"No."

The man flashed his light on the road. "So where's your friend at?"

"Uh…" Naruto glanced at the fence. "Before I tell you… Don't freak out, ok? He's not exactly… human."

"Oh?" He shined the light back in his face. "Then what is he? Your pet dog or something?"

"Close." Naruto looked back towards the fence.

The man followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes. "Kyo, shine your light over there. Kid's pet is over there."

The first man, now identified as Kyo moved his flashlight over to the fence and found the dragon crouched behind the wood. "Holy crap!" He jumped backwards, nearly dropping the flashlight. "Touzoku, you'd better get over here! Like, now!"

The man standing with Naruto shined his light on Neji's scaly face. "Whoa!"

"I said not to freak out!" Naruto cried. "Doesn't anybody listen to me?"

"Shi! Shi, look over here! The kid's got a dragon with him!"

"A what?!" A third man came running down the dirt path and stood by Kyo with the flashlight shining on Neji's face. "My God, would you look at that… A real live dragon."

Neji lifted his head slowly while keeping very quiet. Shi moved closer to the fence and reached out with his hand to touch Neji's snout. Neji recoiled, not wanting the man to touch him. Even at the sight of this, Shi was smiling as if he had struck gold.

"He's magnificent." He turned to Naruto. "Tell me, boy, wherever did you come across this creature?"

"Uh…" Naruto looked at Neji who glared at him, his way of telling Naruto to keep quiet. "He's with me. We're traveling."

Shi smiled at him. "Then the two of you must be pretty tired from your journey. Come. You must rest here for a while. We were just about to sit down to dinner."

"Then we came at a good time!" Naruto grinned back.

Touzoku and Kyo opened the gate to the fence. Kyo had to jiggle the latch to get it to open. Once it swung open, Neji stepped inside. Shi led Naruto toward the building covered by overgrown trees which turned out to be a tool shed. "You can clean up around the side there. We have a hose by the shed. Just by the pumpkins over there."

"Thanks." Naruto went by the large pumpkins and looked around but there was no hose to be found. "Uh, where exactly..?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. It's around this side," Shi chuckled. "It's been a long day."

"No problem." Naruto went around the other side and washed off his hands using the short hose. Their luck we beginning to change again. These people seemed nice. They were nice enough to invite them to dinner.

Kyo and Touzoku stood on either side of Neji, looking him up and down. He didn't like their stares. It made him feel very uncomfortable. Naruto returned from behind the shed and went up to Shi, thanking him for his kindness.

"It's not a problem," he told Naruto.

The blond teenager looked over the garden as Shi lit their way with the flashlight in his hand. "So all this is yours?" he asked looking over the plump melons.

"Yup. I planted all the melons you see before you. I'm feeling pretty good about those cantaloupe you see there." Shi gestured to the light yellowish green melons on the ground.

Neji narrowed his eyes at Shi.

"Cool." Naruto was completely oblivious as always.

Shi took them to the house just a short distance away from the garden, completely aglow. In the light, Naruto and Neji could see these men clearly. They were wearing clean clothes and sandals. All three of them had dark hair. Kyo wore his the longest of the three, his ponytail reaching midway down his back. Touzoku had a light scar running down his left ear to his jawbone. Shi's outfit seemed to be made of silk, his shirt bound to his waist by a woven rope and knotted at his navel. Shi invited them in and Naruto started up the steps.

Neji reached out and pulled on Naruto's jacket.

"What's the matter?"

Neji tugged, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

Naruto pulled his shirt free. "What's wrong? They just invited us in for dinner. Are you finding fault with that?" Neji acted the same way when they were in Seji's village, not trusting anyone's kindness. "It's fine. These guys aren't jerks like at that other place."

Neji growled, trying to get Naruto away from the building.

"What is it? I don't get you. You don't like it when people are being selfish jerks and you don't like it when people are being kind. What's up with you?"

Neji growled again, backing away from the house. He prayed that Naruto would understand his body language and come with him.

Shi stepped behind Naruto, putting his hands on Naruto's shoulders. "What's the matter? Is your dragon upset because he can't fit into our house?"

"Yeah, that must be it…" Naruto thought aloud.

"Don't worry. We'll bring him some food to eat. We'll treat him right." Shi reached out to pet Neji's snout. Neji saw the man's supple palm come at his face and pulled away with a loud growl. Shi shrugged and led Naruto inside with the two men holding the door open for them. "I guess your dragon doesn't like me. Oh, well. I tried to be nice."

Neji watched Naruto go inside and stood by the door, growling and snorting. Something wasn't right about this place. Neji peered inside the window and saw the men sit Naruto down at a wooden table and take a pot off the fire. He walked around the house and peered inside another window. This was a bedroom. There was a large bed in the middle of the floor with different colored blankets laying across it. There was a sunhat hanging on the hook by the closed door. It had a red ribbon on it. It was a woman's sunhat. Why on earth would three single men own a woman's sunhat? Neji walked around the building, snooping around behind the house.

Too many things didn't add up. That man named Shi claimed to be the owner of this land. He even said that he planted the 'cantaloupe' in the garden himself. That yellow-green melon he called 'cantaloupe' was actually a honeydew. Surely a farmer would know that. It was so basic, even Neji who never owned a garden in his life knew that. Shi didn't even know where the hose was on the tool shed, pointing Naruto in the wrong direction. Even those two men Kyo and Touzoku had trouble opening the gate to the garden. It could have been a stubborn gate, but that was an easy latch to open had they looked. It was as if it were their first time opening that gate. That wasn't all. Their clothes bothered him. After seeing that farmer in the last village they passed through, Neji knew that a man doing any kind of work in the field had tattered clothes. Not these men. Their clothes were clean. It was possible that they had cleaned up before meeting Naruto and Neji, but even their sandals weren't muddy. Not even worn in. There was something that they couldn't fake and that was their hands. Neji saw that farmer's hands when Naruto begged him for food. In addition to being boney, they were also scared and blistered. Gardeners working in the fields had rough hands. But not these three.

It was clear to Neji that this was not their land, as they claimed. Looking at the garden, it looked very well kept. The real owners couldn't have been away for very long. Neji had several theories. He narrowed it down to two possibilities. Either these men drove off the real farmers or they were murdered. Neji's heightened sense of smell wasn't picking up any blood or rotting flesh. Either these men buried them deep under ground or the owners were simply driven off their land. That's what Neji managed to deduce from the information he had to go on. Either way it wasn't good for the two of them. He and Naruto may have been in grave danger. Too bad Naruto was oblivious to the likely threat.

* * *

Sitting down to a big bowl of potato soup, Naruto learned that these three men were brothers from the Seiha clan. According to them, their clan had dwindled down to only a few. Many of them possessed no potential to become real ninjas so many of them became 'acting ninja', which meant that they went around acting like ninja while having no jutsu capabilities. As a result, many of them died, challenging real ninja to battle or failing to complete dangerous tasks. Naruto was the first one they had seen in their garden.

With great effort, Naruto stopped eating to answer their questions. They wanted to know why he and a dragon were traveling so far. They wanted to know where they were heading and why. They were very interested in the dragon following him around.

"Well, his name's Neji, for starters."

"I hear that ninja can summon animals to aid them in battle," said Kyo. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, but he's not a summoned animal. He hasn't been a dragon for very long."

"Oh?" Touzoku said. "What's that mean?"

"I mean he used to be human." Naruto shoveled more soup into his mouth before continuing. "He got cursed."

"Cursed, you say? Interesting. How exactly did that happen?" asked Shi.

Naruto asked for seconds on the soup. Shi turned to fetch it for him. While he did, Naruto started to unzip his jacket. The heat from the fireplace was heating the whole room, making him sweat. The hot soup also warmed him from the inside out. Handed the bowl, Naruto dove in again, slopping some of it on his jacket so he decided to take it off, tossing it by the wall where the bag containing his wool blanket lay. Kyo kindly picked it up and offered to hang it up for him. Naruto watched him hang his jacket up on a hook by the door.

"So tell us how your friend got cursed," prompted Shi. "I've never seen such a thing before."

"Well, he…" Naruto thought about Neji's warnings before coming into the building. Could he have been warning him about just this? Did he not want Naruto telling them about him? "He just got the curse from somewhere. You know how it is."

"Where? Where did he get it?" asked Touzoku forcefully. "What power could change him so?"

"Uh…" Now he was getting a bad feeling about this man. He was too forceful to just be curious. Naruto thought about that village where the Dragon's Pearl resided. A neighboring village had started stealing from them as a prank. Someone had tried to steal the Dragon's Pearl before but it was returned. What if these men decided to go there to get the orb for themselves in order to test its power? The village had no way to defend itself. Naruto was careful not to tell them about the village. Or about Seji's village for that matter. "Uh… well, I'm not exactly sure how Neji got the curse. I wasn't there at the time. And he can't talk so…"

"Was it at a village? What village was it?"

"I don't think he got it from any village," Naruto said quickly. "I mean, if he did, then wouldn't there be tons of dragons running around?"

Touzoku sat down with an angry sigh. "That's a valid point."

"Calm down, Touzoku. We could always ask the dragon ourselves," said Kyo.

"Uh, actually, he can't talk. Ever since he changed, he hasn't been able to speak."

"Oh. Oh, well." Kyo poked at his soup with his spoon. "Bummer."

Naruto looked at the three brothers. "So why are you so interested in him anyway? What's the big deal?"

Shi answered with a grin. "It has to deal with a story our grandfather spoke of. About one of our ancestors."

Naruto was interested in this. "What's the story about?"

"It dates back many, many years ago," Shi told him. "It was about an ancestor who came across this woman called the Dragon Priestess."

Naruto's heart thumped against his ribcage. "I've heard about her."

"She was called that because of the dragons who followed her everywhere she went. Our clan believes that she's a ninja and those are her summoned creatures." Shi filled Naruto's bowl again, telling him the tale. "Our ancestor saw this woman and her dragons one day passing through a village. He was traveling, same as her. He saw the dragons and was awed by them. Not just by their beauty, but by the jewel embedded on their foreheads."

"A jewel?" Naruto thought about the round jewel on Neji's forehead, thinking it may be the very same.

"That jewel is known as the Dragon's Pearl. Because dragon's are so rare and powerful, and that jewel is so large, naturally it's worth a lot. It's said that a Dragon's Pearl is worth an emperor's entire fortune. Whoever possesses one will gain instant wealth and power. Our ancestor saw the pearl on the dragon's forehead and knew he had to have it. But there's only one way to get the pearl from the dragon's head."

"How?"

Shi drew a line across his throat with his finger. "It's the same as getting ivory from an elephant."

"Which is what he tried to do." Kyo took over the story next. "He tried to kill the dragon but the priestess caught him and gave her dragon permission to attack."

Shi took over from there. "She then asked him why he would do such a thing. He told her the reason. She grew angry at him. 'Is that all their worth is to you?' she asked him. 'Money is not the only thing of value in this world. You'll do right to remember that.' Before she could leave, he demanded that he have the pearl so that he would be taken seriously. They argued."

Touzoku then took over the story. "She said to him that he needed to try seeing it from a dragon's point of view. He wanted to kill them for their pearl to gain wealth and power. She told him that he was too greedy and that the only way he would gain any sort of humility was if he experienced life through a dragon's eyes. The story goes that when she was gone, she placed a powerful curse on her dragons' pearls so that no one would be able to get them. But no one knows how she cursed them. There are different theories and tales, but judging from her words to him, our clan believes that anyone who finds a Dragon Pearl will never be able to use its wealth and become a dragon as punishment."

"Judging from your friend, it seems to be true," said Shi. "So your friend's found a Dragon's Pearl, eh? We'd like to know where he found it."

"I told you I don't know. I wasn't there when he changed." Naruto saw that he was right not to tell them about the village.

"Then tell us where you're going," demanded Kyo. "You're traveling somewhere. Where is it? What's the village called? What's the name? Why are you going there?"

Touzoku pounded the table with his fist. "Don't ask so much at once! Let the boy answer!"

"I want to know where he found that Dragon's Pearl! If we get our hands on it, we could become dragons, too! Imagine it! Dragons are the most powerful creatures ever! No one would stand a chance against us! The power we'd possess, not to mention the wealth."

"We're going to try to lift Neji's curse!" Naruto shouted before he could stop himself.

All three brothers turned to look at him in surprise. "Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"He doesn't want to be a dragon! He was run out of his village because of it. There are a lot of problems with-"

"So what?!" shouted Kyo. "He's got the power. He can just go back to that village and enter it by force!"

"But it's our village and our friend who-"

"If they try to stop him, kill them!"

"No! They're our friends, we could never-"

"Screw that! Who needs friends when you have that kind of power? Think about it! No one will stand in your way again!"

"Besides, why would you want to change him back?" asked Touzoku loudly. "With him by your side, think of the fame you'd have. The owner of a real dragon! You'd be the most powerful ninja ever! You'll have money and power and everything you could ever want!"

"I'd have fame when I become Hokage, too! Besides, I made a promise to Neji that I'd get him back to normal. I can't go back on my word."

"Listen, kid. You don't realize what you have here," Touzoku told him. "You have a dragon at your disposal. Money and power and fame… all of it! And once people see what you have, they'll make you Hokage on the spot. And if they don't, sic the dragon on them until they do."

"When I become Hokage, I'll do it on my own terms and my own way with my own power!" Naruto shouted. "I made a promise to him!"

"Forget the stupid promise! Keep him as he is! He's worth more now then he'd ever be human! He's of better use to you as he is now. You can use his power and if he doesn't like it, you can always sell him for money. He'd be worth a lot. A ton more than he would be as a mere human. See what I'm saying, kid?"

Naruto slammed his hands down on the table, jumping up. "Neji's not some thing to be sold or traded or used! Ever since I became a ninja, I was told how we're supposed to operate. That we're only tools to be used in battle and nothing more than that. We're dispensable. We're supposed to be trained to not see each other as people but as tools. Maybe it's to hide the pain when someone dies, I don't know… But I told my sensei that I would change all that! When I'm Hokage, I'll show everyone that we're more than just tools! We're told to abandon our friends if it helps us complete our mission… that it's ok…"

That was how Sai was taught in Onbu. That was how so many people were taught. But as Kakashi told him…

"Those who abandon their friends are worse than scum!" Naruto shouted from the bottom of his heart with everything he believed in. "I am not about to abandon Neji when I made a promise to him! Especially if I do it to gain wealth and power. I made a promise to him and I never ever break my promises! What kind of Hokage would I be if I told everyone to never abandon their friends but I ended up doing it to get where I was? I'm going to be someone they can look up to. I'm going to show them that you can complete a mission without abandoning your comrades! It is possible! I'm not a sellout. I won't give up! I'll never abandon him when he needs me! I'm not about to break a promise now! I will change him back! I'm not giving up!"

He would never be able to look himself in the mirror again if he sold his friend for money or used him for power. It was the same as abandoning him as far as Naruto was concerned. He would be going back on his word. Neji had worth that couldn't be measured in terms of money. He wasn't just some object or a tool. He was a friend. A valued friend. He was wroth fighting for. If Naruto was going to become Hokage one day, he would do it honestly. No tricks, no cheating and no lies. If he was going to show people that they didn't have to abandon their friends, he would never do it himself. If he wanted people to never go back on a promise, he'd better not start now. Lead through example. He would become Hokage his way and that was that.

Touzoku chuckled. "That's too bad…"

"So let me get this straight," said Kyo. "You won't tell us where the Dragon's Pearl is and you won't do the smart thing with your dragon buddy… Is that right?"

Naruto nodded up and down. "That's right. I'm not a sellout. And I'm not going to help you guys either."

"That's too bad." Shi stood up from the table, grabbing a knife from beside the pot. "Then we'll do the next best thing if we can't become dragons ourselves and we can't have your dragon for own gain."

Naruto gulped, seeing the knife. He only had a few kunai on him and it was three against one. He could always use some shadow clones, but he no idea what these people were capable of. And Neji was still waiting outside for him. "Well, what do you mean, exactly?"

Shi smiled as his brothers mirrored his hungry gaze. "There's always the Dragon Pearl embedded in your friend's forehead. It may not turn us into dragons… but it'll fetch a nice price."

They meant to kill Neji and remove the pearl from his forehead! They advanced and Naruto reacted quickly. They had to get away. Far away from here and far away from these men. Naruto grabbed the table and flipped it over and ran for the door, screaming Neji's name as he grabbed his jacket.

"Neji! Neji, come on! We've got to go!"

With a roar, Neji met Naruto at the bottom of the steps, turning his body sideways. Naruto jumped from the door, clearing the steps and landing on Neji's back. Immediately he started running. Neji's long body did a full turn and galloped toward the trees. The door behind them flung open with a crash and the men started to chase after them, cursing and yelling.

"Go, Neji! Go!" Naruto clung to Neji's mane as he ran, tearing branches from the trees as he ran in full gallop. He never looked back, running as fast as he could. Naruto looked back, seeing the light from the house get further and further away. He had never felt Neji moved this fast before. The constant undulating and unsteady bumping made him feel like he was about to be thrown off. Just as he was wishing for a saddle, he looked behind again and called to Neji. "Stop, stop! Neji, stop! They're not following us anymore."

Neji slowed to a stop and looked behind, panting heavily. It appeared that they had given up. Either that or Neji was too fast for them and were left far behind.

Naruto patted Neji's neck, feeling the need to apologize. "Sorry, Neji. I know what you mean about not taking everything at face value. Just because they seem nice doesn't mean that they are. I nearly got us both killed."

Neji snorted, pleased to hear that Naruto was finally beginning to understand.

"But just because they're nice doesn't mean that they've got to be up to something either. So how about this? I'll try not to blindly believe that nice people are definitely good and you'll try to believe in people's best from time to time. Deal?"

Far enough. Neji nodded his head in agreement. He would try to be more trusting and Naruto would be more skeptical.

"Whew! Good!" Naruto chuckled. "Now let's try to get some more distance between us and them. Let's see which way to go from… here..?" Naruto patted his chest, feeling his black T-shirt instead of his jacket. He couldn't hear the crinkling sound or the folded paper. He felt around in his jacket, searching all the pockets. He felt every pocket, finding nothing. "We've got to go back!"

Neji's head turned in surprise. "Rur?"

"The bag is still back there… and the map! I left them back at the house! The map's back there! We don't have it, they do!"

Neji's roar echoed through the woods, shaking leaves free from the branches as if screaming 'you idiot!'

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**:

Naruto and Neji crouched behind the trees and shrubs, peering at the small wooden house behind the garden. The three men were still there, their shadows moving around the lights like dark flames. Naruto wanted to rush in and grab the map as soon as he could, but Neji had stopped him from doing so. Through body language, Neji managed to convey what he wanted Naruto to do. There were three of them, but Naruto felt confident that with his Shadow Clones he would be able to overpower them easily. He had panicked before and ran away, but now he was thinking more clearly. These three men would be easy to defeat. It wasn't like they were real ninja or anything. One step up from bandits, Naruto thought. A few punches should bring them down, no problem.

Having a dragon with him also evened the odds in their favor. However, Naruto didn't tell Neji that these men wanted to kill him and take his pearl affixed to his head. He also knew that Neji couldn't control his form very well. He was very limited and didn't seem to want to try new things and experiment. Neji had an excuse so Naruto was willing to protect him and handle this himself. He was a ninja after all. He wasn't a weak little kid anymore. He had been training hard for years. Without giving him a reason, Naruto told him to stay hidden in the trees and wait for him to return with the map. He couldn't risk Neji getting killed.

The three bothers from the Seiha clan stepped outside the small house, counting their spoils. Kyo held up a folded piece of paper with pride, showing it off to his bothers.

"What's that?" Shi asked his younger brother.

"It's a map. Look, there's a town circled on it. I'm sure that's where they're going."

"Are you sure?" asked Touzoku. "How do we know it's not where they've been?"

"Perhaps it's the location of the Dragon's Pearl." Shi tried to take the map from Kyo but he pulled it away from his reaching hands. "Give me the map, Kyo."

"Now wait a minute, why can't I hang onto it? We should read it together. After all, I'm the one who found it."

"And I found this!" Touzoku held up the brocade bag. "This was also left behind. It's very fine, isn't it? Looks like something a noble may possess."

"What's a ninja doing with such an expensive bag as that?"

"It could be a gift, or he stole it from someone. Who knows?"

"Either way, I'm keeping it." Kyo reached for the bag.

Touzoku pulled it away. "Now you wait a minute. Who's to say I can't have it? You have the map."

"You mean we have the map!" Shi corrected loudly. "Enough of your squabbling. The bag doesn't matter. What matters is the map. It's bound to lead us to something good. It may lead to the Dragon's Pearl or it could lead us to something else. Who knows? Whatever it is, it was important enough to mark on the map so we're going there."

Touzoku sighed, holding the bag by its straps. "Fine. I suppose you're right. So do we leave at first light or what?"

"Why not leave now? The sooner we leave, the better." Shi looked hungrily at the map, his eyes sparkling with greed and hope. "Just think… The Dragon's Pearl. It's all our clan ever hoped for. We could discover it… and become dragons ourselves! We'll truly be invincible! The most powerful creature in the world! Who wouldn't want that?"

"With a dragon's power, no one will ever be able to stand up to us again. We'll never be dominated by anyone. We'll finally have things go our way!" Kyo grinned. "No one will be able to stand up to a dragon, let alone three of them. We'll be unstoppable!"

"Then let's get a move on and get there as soon as we can!" said Touzoku. "Why hesitate? I'm sick of being human. No one will walk over us again. We make the rules now."

"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

The three brothers looked up. Raining down from the sky were dozens of ninja. No, just one… over and over again. In moments, the brothers were overwhelmed by Naruto clones, kicking and punching and grabbing their clothes. The real Naruto dashed from the side and ran straight for Kyo. He snatched the map from his hand and ran. He tripped over a bag on the ground and fell at Shi's feet. Their eyes met.

"It's that ninja kid!"

Grabbing the brocade bag, Naruto strapped it to his back, stuffed the map into his jacket and took off as fast as he could.

"Get him! He's got the map!"

Naruto didn't stop running until he got behind the house. Using the light from the open windows, Naruto pulled out the map and looked at it. It was the same map, with the same markings and everything. It was crumpled up slightly, but still readable. Relived, Naruto tucked it back into his pocket and started off toward the clearing, going along with Neji's plan. If he were to head straight back to the woods, he would lead the men directly to Neji's hiding spot. He agreed to take the long way and meet up with him once he threw the brothers off their trail.

"There he is!"

Naruto stopped. All three brothers had him surrounded, each one holding up a frightening weapon. Shi held a sword and several daggers on his belt. Kyo held a sickle with a long chain on the end which he was spinning above his head threateningly. Touzoku held up two large maces whose spikes were at least four inches long.

"What the hell?!" Naruto shouted in surprise. "I thought you guys weren't ninja!" Those tools were ninja weapons. They may not have been as common as kunai or shuriken, but Naruto had seen them in battle before used by very skilled ninja. He had definitely seen Tenten summon all of them at least once.

"Didn't you hear us say that our clan was know for its 'acting ninja'? We may not possess any jutsu abilities, but we can still hold our own in a fight!" announced Touzoku.

It was very possible that these three weren't the pushovers Naruto took them for earlier. Though Lee possessed no jutsu either, he was a formidable opponent. These brothers were not to be taken lightly. Shadow Clones may not be enough. Maybe.

"Give us the map!" demanded Kyo.

Naruto stood his ground. "No way!"

"Just give us the map and we'll let you go! That's all we want!"

"No!"

"Have it your way, then." Touzoku charged first, swinging his weapons around with surprising skill.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto summoned up several clones to combat the brothers. Using the mace as an extension of his arm, Touzoku forced his way through, the clones popping and vanishing. Naruto summoned up several more which lasted only a few seconds. In an instant, Touzoku was in front of him, the spiked club in his face. Naruto bent over backwards, letting it pass over his head. He sprang back on his hands, flipping around.

"Hyah!" Kyo threw his chain at Naruto's legs, snagging his ankle. With one pull, he brought Naruto to one knee. As Kyo rushed in with his sickle, Naruto deflected it with a kunai. He swung again. Naruto combated it with another kunai. Their blades clashed, sending sparks flying before their eyes.

Hearing a cry from behind, Naruto pushed Kyo back and rolled just as Touzoku came at him from behind. Unwrapping the chain from his leg, Naruto jumped into the air and tried to confuse them with more Shadow Clones. It failed. Working together, the two brothers defeated all the clones before they had a chance to inflict any damage. The same chain wrapped around his leg again and dragged him down. Naruto hit the ground hard. Before he knew it, someone was sitting on his stomach, pointing a sword at his throat.

"Give us the map!" Shi ordered.

"No!"

Shi started patting his hips and sides, feeling for the piece of folded paper. "Where is it? Where'd you hide it? Tell me where it is!"

"Never! Stop it!"

Shi felt something on Naruto's left rib crinkle. He reached to unzip Naruto's jacket, but he gripped tightly with both hands, keeping him from doing so. "Give me the map!"

"No!" Naruto twisted from side to side, avoiding his hands.

"Hold him down!" Shi ordered and Kyo tried to pry Naruto's hands away. "Either you give us the map or we'll slit your throat and do things that way."

"That would make things easier," added Touzoku. "A dead body's easy to search."

Naruto couldn't fight all of them at once like this. He was tied up, on his back with a heavy man sitting on him, and most of his weapons weren't on him anymore. To make matters worse, he couldn't take his hands away to perform any hand signs without letting them get to the map hidden in his pocket. He was practically helpless. Maybe he should have gone with a different plan. These 'acting ninja' were much stronger than he thought. He was surprised to be taken down so easily by these brothers. But he didn't give up. He kept struggling, twisting away from them and biting at Kyo's hand when he got too close.

"Just kill him! Cut his head off if you must!"

"I'll bludgeon his head in!" Touzoku raised his mace high over his head, aiming at Naruto's face.

"No! No!" Naruto twisted away. "No, stop! Don't!" Either he released the map and fought back risking its safety or he continued to hold onto it and hope to wiggle away from their weapons somehow. Letting go of the map wasn't an option. No matter what he wouldn't let them have it. Even if that meant not being able to make Shadow Clones or punch these guys in the face. He wouldn't let go of Neji's last hope even fore a second.

"Give us the map!"

"No!"

Shi looked at his brother. "Do it!"

The mace was in line with his head. Naruto wriggled, but he couldn't avoid this attack. "No! No!"

A thunderous roar echoed from the trees. All four looked to see the great dragon gallop toward them at full speed. With one whip of his tail, he knocked the mace out of Touzoku's hand and sent him flying back as well. With another whip, he threw the two remaining brothers away. He stood over Naruto protectively, snarling at the men.

Naruto untied himself and stood beside Neji, thanking him quickly. "You heard me yelling, didn't you?"

Neji nodded. He knew Naruto was in danger and came to help. Together, these brothers didn't stand a chance.

The brothers recovered and stood up, grabbing their weapons.

"You've got two choices!" declared Shi. "Either you give us the map or you give us your friend!"

"Not an option!" Naruto yelled back. "You can't have either!"

Kyo stepped forward angrily. "Why would you want to change him back?! Why would you want to give up being a dragon?! Don't you realize what you have? Ultimate power! Why the hell would you want to give that up?!"

Neji didn't answer them. He only growled low and deep.

"Why not stay like this? Why not keep him like this? A dragon's valuable! Be smart, kid, and keep him this way!"

"No way! Neji said that he wants to change back and I promised I'd help him!"

"Stupid! Once he realizes what he has, he won't want to change back! Besides, who the hell cares what he wants?! You can keep him like this and use him! With a dragon's strength, you won't have to lift a finger ever again!"

Naruto shook his head. "Now I know you guys are just 'acting' ninja. A real ninja would never say something like that! A real ninja fights with his own strength and would never hide behind anyone else or use them like that!"

"You said you wanted to be Hokage, right, kid?" asked Touzoku. "With a dragon at your command, you can! There's no way they wouldn't let you then!"

"When I become Hokage," Naruto shouted, "I'll do it with my own strength and my own power! I'm not going to use anybody! I'll do it my way!"

"You're an idiot!" Kyo raised his weapon. "You have no idea what you have!"

"Yes, I do…" Naruto stepped in front of Neji, shielding him. "Which is why I'm not going to do what you say." He had a friend who needed his help. He wasn't going to exploit him or keep him this way to suit his needs. Neji was important to him. He needed his help and Naruto promised him. "I'm not going back on my word. I'll find Neji a cure and that's that!"

"There's no reasoning with this kid," said Touzoku. "We may as well just take what is rightfully ours!"

"You're not getting the map!" Naruto shouted.

"The map isn't all we want." Touzoku looked at Neji's forehead. "That'll fetch a pretty price. There's more than one way to get power, after all. Being rich is another way to do it."

Naruto looked at the pearl and then back at the men.

"It's like we said before… It's like taking an elephant's ivory."

"No!" Naruto jumped in front of Neji, holding out his arms. "I'm not going to let you kill him!"

"Sorry, but if we want that pearl, there's really no other way to do it."

Neji blinked. The pearl? The one on his head? That's what they were after? According to that man, it was worth a lot of money, but the only way to remove it was to kill him. Naruto knew about this?

"I won't let you! I told you before, there's no way that's happening!" Naruto wouldn't let them get close to the dragon. "I'm curing him!"

"Even if that pearl will make you the richest person in the world?"

"I don't care about that!" Naruto wasn't backing down. "I told you inside, I value Neji more than I do money! I don't care how much that pearl's supposed to be worth… I treasure friendship more than I do money!"

"You said you wouldn't sell him, you said you wouldn't use him… What the hell's wrong with you, kid?! You're giving up on so much!" cried Kyo.

"Not as much as I'd be giving up by treating him like that! Neji's my friend and that's worth more to me than being rich! I'd rather have nothing than give up on my friends and sell them out!" Naruto pulled out a kunai. "No matter what you say or how many times you say it, I'm not going to let you kill Neji!"

Behind him, Neji's eyes had grown very wide. Naruto was given a chance to, not only become rich, but use him to become Hokage. Still he refused. He valued his friendship with him more than money. He valued his word more than riches and fame. Neji didn't know if he felt humbled hearing this or thankful. All he knew was that he had a warm feeling in his heart and wanted to do everything in his power to help Naruto. From this moment on, Naruto had Neji's utmost respect. Anyone in Naruto's position making such a decision deserved it.

"There's no reason to waste our breath," said Shi. "This kid's not going to listen. Just get in there and take what we deserve!"

"No problem." Naruto performed a hand sign. "You deserve this beating more than anyone I know. Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Multiple clones appeared from out of nowhere, tightly packed together around the dragon like a protective wall. Knowing what needed to be done, the first row charged at the brothers in attack formation. Then the second row charged after them. Kyo swung his chain, slicing through the first row with ease. Unable to change the direction of the chain in mid strike, the second row had an advantage. As Kyo prepared to pull the chain back for a second strike, one clone grabbed it and held it down. Helping his younger brother, Touzoku struck with his mace, popping two clones at once.

"Don't take us lightly!" he warned. "We've killed men much stronger than you! This will be easy!"

Naruto performed another hand sign. "I don't care about that." More clones came to their aid, rushing in as soon as they were summoned.

Touzoku swung at the clones, destroying them with one strike of his mace. With one in each hand, he made short work of the clones until there was nothing left but smoke. "What'd I tell you? Easy!"

The smoke began to swirl and pull back as if a vacuum were drawing it in. There was a light and a shadow moving behind the smoke and then…

"Rasengan!"

The clones were just a cover. Naruto wanted them to disappear. It was all a distraction. The real Naruto charged at Touzoku with his attack. Touzoku barely had time to move as the ball of energy and wind shattered his left mace and forced him back.

"Touzoku!" Kyo hurried to his aid, slicing into Naruto's shoulder with his sickle. Another clone tackled him from the side saving Naruto from a more sever injury. The two grappled for a while before the sickle sent the clone away and Kyo rolled to his feet.

Naruto held up his fist with the kunai, ready. He heard more popping and saw out of the corner of his eye Shi racing toward Neji. "No! Get away from him!"

"Don't get distracted!" Kyo slashed Naruto across the face with his sickle, showering the ground with blood.

Holding his cheek, Naruto turned back to face him. He couldn't help Neji as long as Kyo was standing here. He had to defeat him first. He swung the kunai and their blades clashed. Naruto felt the vibration travel up his arm and into his shoulder. He pressed hard into the sickle but it didn't budge. He heard footsteps behind him and knew it was the other brother, Touzoku, coming to help Kyo. Using Kyo's bent knee as a step, Naruto jumped up, twisted in the air and landed behind Touzoku just as he came swinging his remaining mace. The two brothers saw each other in time and leaned opposite ways to avoid the other's weapon.

In the meantime, Naruto was running back to Neji. The clones managed to hold off Shi for a while but their numbers were diminishing fast. Just before Shi could reach the dragon, Naruto leapt through the air and knocked Shi aside with his shoulder. He got up swinging his sword. Naruto blocked with his kunai. Their blades locked together and Naruto was forced to one knee. Shi was a lot stronger than he looked.

"Just give us the pearl!" Shi demanded.

"I told you no way!"

"Don't you understand?!" Shi pushed hard against Naruto's kunai. "My ancestor was the first and only one in my clan to see the Dragon Priestess. Our clan is dirt poor! We have no money to our name so we have to go out and steal just so we can eat. Everything we have is stolen from someone else! Having a Dragon's Pearl would bring us great wealth! We'll never have to steal ever again! Our luck will change. We'll finally have a say in this world obsessed with money and power. My brothers and I will be able to live in comfort for the rest of our lives! And you want to waste that pearl by changing him back?! Let me have what my ancestor couldn't! Give me the pearl!"

"Not if it means killing Neji!" Naruto pushed back harder, but he was no match for the sword. They were deadlocked.

"That woman stiffed him! He asked for the pearl and she refused. And here you are doing the same thing to me!"

"Don't you get it?! That Priestess didn't want you guys to take another's life just because they had something of value! There are some things more important than money, you know! Maybe she wanted him to see that, too! You've got your family, be grateful for that. At least you have each other!"

"Ha!" Shi pressed his full weight behind his sword, driving Naruto into the ground. "Are you kidding me?! I'd kill both my brothers if it meant being filthy rich!"

"What?!"

"There's nothing more important in this world than money and power!" Shi's eyes were blazing. Eyes like burning pools of blood. "You call this a curse your friend has?! It's all anyone could ever want! If I were to become a dragon, I'd slaughter everyone who gets in my way! I'd get back at everyone who has ever wronged me and I'll show everyone who's the dominate one in this world! My brothers and I will become dragons and show everyone what we can do! No one will be able to stop us! Least of all someone like you!"

There was no way Naruto would ever let people like these brothers become dragons if this was their intention. They didn't deserve that kind of power. These men were just plain evil if that's what they were planning to do with such power. Naruto couldn't allow that to happen.

If this was what it would do to people, then no one should have the power of a dragon. Not even someone with pure intentions.

Naruto pushed Shi back just far enough for him to move to the side and out from under his sword. Naruto slashed Shi's arm and jumped away as he swung his sword. He had more reach than Naruto did with such a small blade.

Roaring, Neji snapped his jaws at Shi's sword, trying to take it away from him and give Naruto a fair fight. Shi turned the sword around and tried to stab Neji's forehead. Naruto kicked him away and pushed Neji's snout, telling him to back up. It was Neji they were after. He had to protect him.

Screaming in anger, Shi chucked his arsenal of knives at Naruto and Neji's heads. Something dark appeared between them and caught the knives. A torn wool blanket fell to the ground at Shi's feet. "Cheap trick!" He saw Naruto try to pull Neji away from the battle but Shi was already after them.

"Hurry, Neji! Go!" Naruto pushed him back towards the woods, but Neji wanted to help Naruto in the battle. He didn't want to run away and hide like some coward.

Shi appeared overhead, his sword pointed downward. "That pearl is mine!"

"No!"

Shi landed on Neji's head and drove the tip of his sword straight down. There was a loud crack and Shi's sword shattered. "What?!" Shi looked at his broken sword whose blade was now no larger than Naruto's kunai.

Looking, Naruto saw that there wasn't even a scratch on Neji's face. His scales had protected him once again. "Ha! Looks like it's not that easy to get a dragon's pearl after all!"

With one good buck, Neji sent the man flying over his head and onto the roof of the house behind them.

"How dare you?!" The other brothers were running toward them with their weapons swinging. "We'll kill you both!"

Naruto reached for another kunai but couldn't reach it in time. They were too close. Naruto took a step back. Suddenly, Neji's body coiled around his like a large dome, shielding him from their attacks. Naruto could hear their muffled voices as they fought to reach the boy inside. Neji's scales wouldn't let them reach. "Thanks, Neji!" Naruto found another kunai and held one in each hand. "I'm ready now!"

Neji uncoiled and let Naruto escape. He flew over their heads and landed behind them on both feet. Kyo swung his chain at the same time Neji swung his tail. The two tangled, giving Naruto extra time to attack. He leapt up, kicking Kyo in the face. He jumped back as Touzoku swung his mace. Kyo pulled his chain free but Neji was still giving him a hard time, snapping at him with his teeth. Touzoku smashed the ground at Naruto's feet with his mace. Naruto's foot found something on the ground behind him, giving Naruto an idea.

"Hyah!" Touzoku swung high, which was exactly what Naruto wanted him to do. He picked up the torn blanket and quickly wrapped it around Touzoku's mace, tying it to his hand. "Hey!" Now those spikes were no longer a problem. Now for the remaining brother.

"Neji!" he called.

The dragon looked up and saw Naruto running at him with his hand raised high. He grabbed the end of Neji's tail. Knowing what Naruto was planning, Neji lifted his tail high over his head and Naruto's feet left the ground. Neji swung his tail in a full circle. Naruto's body became a pendulum and, just as they completed their second loop, Naruto straightened his legs and kicked Kyo in the chest. Kyo was thrown back into Touzoku and the two fell to the ground on top of each other.

Naruto released Neji's tail and landed beside him. "Yes! How awesome was that?!"

There was no time to celebrate. The two were already on their feet. "The map! Give us the map!"

"Don't you guys ever give up?"

Touzoku unwrapped the blanket from his arm and held up the mace. "Give it to us now!"

"We can do this all night! Can you?"

Naruto thought he could but now he wasn't sure. If he kept this up all night, he was bound to run out of chakra. He had already used up quite a bit on his first few attacks, but he still had plenty left over. There were only three of them. Surely it wouldn't take all his chakra to defeat them. Then again, they were a lot tougher than he thought they would be. It was a big surprise. From another's perspective, this fight might have looked easy, but Naruto felt as if he were fighting three Rock Lees. "Sure can!" he bluffed. These guys wouldn't last the night either, would they? They had to get tired sometime.

Kyo and Touzoku stood where they were, weapons at the ready.

Just before Naruto could make a move, he heard something. It was a low rumbling behind his head. He turned around. Neji's eyes had changed. His irises had shrunk, acting like pupils. They were now nothing more than slits, like cat eyes. His fangs were showing and smoke was emitting from his nostrils. Naruto stepped aside as Neji lifted his head, stretching out his long neck. With a roar, he unleashed the largest fire stream Naruto had ever seen. The fire scorched the ground, lighting up the night. The flame surrounded the brothers like a cage. The fire became their prison. Neji stepped forward with another roar, challenging them to make a move. They didn't.

Neji's eyes narrowed with a low growl. More smoke escaped his open mouth. Kyo and Touzoku dropped their weapons and backed away, their hands raised in surrender. They were no match for a dragon. This was just a taste of Neji's true power. He was able to do so much more as a dragon and they didn't want to see it, knowing it would cost them their lives.

"Now get lost!" Naruto shouted.

Covering their heads with their arms, the two leapt through the flames and ran off into the night.

Neji watched them leave. After they were gone from his sight, his eyes returned to normal. "That was amazing," he heard Naruto say. He looked down and saw Naruto jumping up and down in celebration. "Woo-hoo! We did it! Did you see that?! Awesome!" Neji couldn't resist. Maybe it was Naruto's energy influencing him or maybe it was his own satisfaction. Neji gave a triumphant roar and blew out another huge flame into the sky.

Naruto patted him on the shoulder, laughing. "Alright, Neji!" Fighting alongside a dragon was very exciting. That coupled with seeing Neji comfortable enough in his new form to fight with him was enough to make Naruto cheer like a fool. Now that the Seiha brothers were defeated and driven off, it was time to be on their way. Naruto bent down to gather up the blanket. As soon as he lifted it off the ground, it unraveled and fell into pieces. It was torn beyond repair. The piece in Naruto's hand could barely be passed off as a handkerchief. With a sigh, he tossed it back to the ground. "Looks like we're out one blanket."

Neji gave a low moan, showing Naruto his sympathy.

"Ah, that's alright. Too bad we can't use it anymore, but we can find something else. It was a gift so…" Naruto bent down and picked something up from the ground. Neji's head loomed over his, trying to get a better look. Naruto was stuffing a melon into the brocade bag that hadn't been damaged in the fight. "What? Breakfast for tomorrow." It wasn't like he was going to give up a perfectly good melon. Naruto stood up, placing the bag back onto his back. "Ok, we've got the bag, we've got our breakfast and we've got the map. Let's get going."

"Give… me… the… map..!"

They turned back. Illuminated by the flames was Shi, still clinging to his broken sword. He was definitely injured from the attack, but he seemed to be able to ignore any pain he was in, driven by his greed.

"Give it up. Just let it go," Naruto told him. This man was on his last legs. He didn't want to fight him anymore. "Your brothers went off that way. Go join them."

"I don't… give a damn about them!" he spat. "They're weak! If only they knew just how important that Dragon's Pearl is to our clan, they would never think to run. They're cowards!"

"And you're an idiot. Just give it up!"

"I'll give up when you do! You have dreams, too, don't you? That Hokage crap and all. Even when people tell you to stop, you don't, so why should I? My prize is standing right there!"

"My dream of becoming Hokage isn't going to hurt anyone! What you're driving for is just plain evil! You want to have power to kill people!"

"Only so they know their place!"

"I'd use my power to help people, not kill them! That's why I'm telling you to give up! It's wrong! You'd rather have power and money than a family!"

"Damn straight! They're worthless to me!" Shi extended his hand to Naruto. "Give me the map!"

Naruto put his hand over his jacket where the map lay hidden. He refused.

"Fine!" Shi ran at Naruto with what remained of his sword. Naruto didn't bother dodging. He easily deflected it with his kunai. "Give it to me!"

"I told you no."

"I'll kill you!" Shi's sword was knocked from his hands. He didn't give up. In his mind, he really thought he could win. What that map promised him was all he ever wanted. He would not let it go. Not when it was so close.

He saw Naruto lift off the ground, holding the dragon's tail. It was the same attack as before, but with one difference. As Naruto swung around, he held something in the palm of his hand. Using the momentum from Neji's swinging tail, Naruto drove his attack into Shi's chest, calling out a new attack name. "Dragon Tail Rasengan!" Shi was thrown back toward the fire, landing by his brothers' weapons.

Neji snorted, telling Naruto it was enough and to leave. Naruto began to turn.

"Wait!" Shi called from the ground. "The map..! Just give me the map!"

How desperate could one man be? Naruto couldn't understand why Shi would want the power of a dragon just so he could go around killing people and betraying his family. It seemed pointless to him. If he had a better reason for doing this, Naruto may have been more willing to help him or even take pity on him. But he couldn't do that for Shi. He would not aid a murderer. He turned his back to Shi and kept walking.

"Where are you going?! Give me the map! Tell me where I can find it! Tell me!"

He refused to answer him. Naruto kept walking without looking back.

"Tell me! Tell me, damn you!"

Naruto walked away one step at a time. He heard a jingling sound and stopped. It was a chain. He turned around. "What are you doing?" He watched Shi struggle up, gripping his brother's weapon tightly in his hand. "I told you, I'm not-"

"Shut up!" Shi's voice trembled. "I'll take it by force if I have to!" He started to struggle up, but his body was too weak and injured. He couldn't stand up. Still he tried. He pulled the chain of Kyo's weapon with his right hand, holding the sickle in his left, blade pointed toward him. He had never handled his brother's weapon before and lacked the basic skill necessary to use it. Given his lack of training and weak body, it was a bad combination.

"Don't."

Shi ignored Naruto's warning and started to stand. His knees could barely support his weight, trembling.

"Shi, don't." It was the only time Naruto called him by name, but it did little to convince him.

Shi took one step forward.

"Don't!"

His foot snagged something sharp. Tripping over the mace, Shi fell forward, directly onto the sickle in his left hand. "Guh!" The curved point sank into his stomach and out his side, puncturing his liver and slicing his other organs. Naruto ran back to help him. He rolled Shi onto his back and looked at the wound. It was far beyond his skill to heal. It was too late anyway. Naruto looked at Shi's eyes flickering in the flames to their side and then lose their light all together.

Naruto tried to pull the sickle out but it was wedged too deeply into his stomach. He looked from the fire crackling nearby and then at Neji who was watching him silently, eyes seeming to glow in the fire light. With nothing left to do, Naruto picked up a torn piece of wool blanket and draped it over Shi's face. Naruto turned away, facing the flames that seemed to burn his eyes. Knowing the brothers would eventually return, Naruto left the body where it was for them to bury.

He walked away, keeping his head low. Even shadowed by the flame at his back, Neji could still see the pained look on Naruto's face as he left the Seiha brothers' stolen home. Naruto led the way into the woods without a word while Neji followed close behind.

* * *

Thoughts on the brothers?

It was a bit of a sad chapter, wasn't it?

Please review ^-^


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: **

They walked and walked and walked and walked. Naruto never stopped moving, heading straight into the dark woods. Behind him, Neji never made a sound. His heavy footsteps were the only indication that he was still following. Naruto walked without a word. Even when his calves and ankles throbbed and ached, he kept going.

After an hour, he stopped, but didn't turn. Neji stood behind him, watching in silence. All Naruto could see before his eyes was the twisted look of desperation on Shi's face as he demanded the map and Neji's pearl. He was still wearing that look on his dying face as Naruto crouched over him by the fire.

"He just… Died," Naruto said at last. "That Shi guy… he just… died. He's dead."

Neji didn't make a sound. Only stared at Naruto's raised shoulders.

He turned to Neji but didn't look at him. He kept his eyes down. "It's not like I haven't seen people die before. It's just that…" Naruto clenched his fists. "Why is he so different? For some reason, Shi's death seems different to me. Was it because… Was it because it was an accident? Was it because I told him to give up on his goals?"

Throughout his life, Naruto had come across people who told him to give up his dreams of becoming a ninja. He was told to give up on becoming Hokage. So many times for so many things, he was told to give up and walk away, only he refused. He was still working hard, moving toward his goal. No matter how many times people told him 'no' that only made him want to do it more to show them up and prove them wrong. He was going to be a great ninja and nothing was going to stop him.

Yet here he was telling someone else to give up on their dreams. Did that make him a horrible person? He just told someone to give up, just like everyone in his life growing up.

"No…" Naruto realized the truth he had known during his fight but had forgotten when he left. "No, I'm not a cruel person for telling him to give up on his dreams. I was right to do so. He wanted to gain power to destroy people, not help them like I want to. I want to help people, he wants to kill them. He wants to kill people just to show off how powerful he is. I couldn't let him follow through with that kind of dream. It's just evil. It's like having the Akatsuki have their way and all that. We fought against them because of what they're trying to do to people. Shi was even worse than they are. At least they have some plan and they don't go after each other. Shi openly said that he would kill his own family if it meant having money and power. Who does that?"

Neji never made a sound, letting Naruto work this out himself. Then Naruto said something that got his attention.

"He said that you were a fool to want to change back and that I was just as dumb to help you do that. All three of them said that I could become Hokage by using you as a weapon. And that you had the power to dominate anyone you wanted." Naruto reached out with his hand and placed it gently on Neji's snout. "But that's not us, is it?"

Their eyes met. Neji's eyes seemed to glow in the dark, his scaly face illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the trees.

"When I become Hokage, it will because of me and no one else. No free rides, right? I want to be someone people can look up to and respect. I don't want people to look at me and say how I don't deserve to be where I am because I got it by using other people. I want to show people that it's wrong to abandon your friends. Those who do are worse than scum. If I go back on my word, I'd be worse than scum because that would mean that I abandoned you. I'm not going to do that."

Neji made a low rumble in this throat involuntarily, feeling Naruto's warmth pass through his palm and into his scales. He trusted Naruto completely. Naruto was not the type of person to ever go back on his word and he would never give up, least of all on a friend. He would never think to use Neji for his own gain. Even knowing the power Neji possessed, he would never go through with it. He was going to achieve his goal with his own strength, both in body and heart.

Someone like him could never become like Shi. Even if Naruto didn't say it, Neji sensed that was what he was worried about. He was afraid of becoming obsessed to the point of abandoning everyone he cared about. Naruto was in no danger of that. Growing up without friends, Naruto understood their value better than anyone.

"And you want to be human again, don't you?"

Neji blinked.

"Those brothers want power so bad and say you're stupid for trying to change back. Well, they just don't know what you have, do they?" Naruto grinned, patting Neji's snout. "What you've gained is nothing compared to what you've lost, is it? That's why you want to change back so bad, right? You can't talk, you can't be a ninja anymore, you can't go home, you can't fit in your house anymore, you can't even hold chopsticks anymore… you can't do a lot of things like this. That's why it's important to you, isn't it?"

Neji nodded his head. There were many things he had lost by transforming into a dragon. There were many things that he missed. But it was more than that. He was born a human. That's what he belonged as. Even with all this power, he just wasn't meant to be a dragon.

"Then that settles it!" Naruto playfully rubbed Neji's nose and faced forward again. "We'll do things our way! You'll do them as a human and I'll do things as Hokage… my way!" He started walking again with a lot more energy than before. His spirits were lifted again. "I'm not going to become Hokage just because I have a dragon for a friend. I'm going to deserve it. I'm going to work hard to get to the top. No cheats, no deals. It wouldn't be fair otherwise, would it?"

Neji nodded in agreement and followed after him. This boy never shut up for one second about becoming Hokage. For once, Neji didn't mind. If that's what it took to give Naruto strength, then so be it.

It wasn't long before Naruto stopped again. He put his hands on his knees, hunching over. "Whew… my legs are killing me..!" It had gotten pretty late. It was the middle of the night and they still hadn't taken rest. After their battle, the two really needed it. "Guess we'd better make camp somewhere."

Neji moved into the trees, spotting a small clearing and curling his body into a circle. His body formed a nice nest for Naruto to sleep in the center of. This seemed as good a place as any. Naruto climbed over Neji's tail and got situated. He removed the brocade bag from his back and set it down by Neji's elbow. He looked around for a comfortable spot he could get into. He leaned against Neji's body and huddled up for warmth. Without that wool blanket, it was going to be a very cold night. He curled into a fetal position and burrowed his nose into his raised collar.

A gentle breeze blew, caressing the back of his neck and cheeks. It wasn't a harsh wind but didn't make him feel any warmer. Sensing Naruto shiver, Neji lifted his head. The cold didn't bother him in the slightest, but Naruto's temperature was dropping. He needed that blanket but it was no longer with them. Taking pity on him, Neji coiled his long tail around Naruto's body.

"Wha..?" Naruto looked down at the tail wrapped around his body like a scaly cocoon. It kept out the wind and kept in his body heat. He rested his head against Neji's body, snuggling up. "Thanks, Neji."

He snorted and lay his head back down.

* * *

Having gotten to sleep late in the night, Naruto and Neji awoke late in the morning. It was nearly noon by the time the two rose from their slumber. Naruto's eyes opened first. It was nice and warm in Neji's coils, but he needed to stretch. Naruto yawned loudly, reaching high over his head and cracking his back. Neji's eyes opened next and he yawned even louder than Naruto.

"Morning, Neji."

He looked at him and crooned.

"Eh?" This was different from Neji's usual grunts and snorts. He had made a new sound.

Neji's tail uncoiled, letting Naruto up. Exposed to the afternoon air, Naruto shivered slightly, but wasn't cold. He stretched out his legs, leaning back. He reached for the bag and started to open it while Neji wiggled his long body, still waking up.

"So, you hungry?"

Neji growled happily, telling Naruto that he was. It was odd seeing Neji behave this way. He seemed happier somehow.

Naruto used his kunai to cut open the melon he had taken the night before and split it in half. He tossed Neji the bigger half which he ate in one bite. Naruto ate his breakfast more slowly but still finished in a few short minutes, leaving only the rind, which he tossed to Neji to finish off. "Ready to get going?"

Neji nodded, standing up.

Naruto pulled out the map and gave it a quick glance. "Hmm…" If they followed the path they were on, they would reach the next village, hopefully, by tomorrow morning. "Ok, let's keep going this way, Neji." Naruto tucked the map back into his pocket and pointed down the road.

It was a warm day. As they left the woods, the two walked into the open air, feeling the warmth from the sun on their faces. Soon, they reached a large hill. Bursting with energy, Naruto ran up the hill as quickly as he could, racing Neji to the top. He made it to the top before Neji, who decided not to race.

"Neji, check this out!"

The dragon climbed the hill and stood beside Naruto. The view was magnificent. The landscape looked like something from a painting. They could see the mountains off in the distance, stretching and blending in with the fogy blue sky. The land stretched out before them like a sheet of green and yellow. There were so many flowers at the base of the hill it looked like a golden cloud had settled down before them. Laughing, Naruto started down the hill, losing his balance and rolling down the hill like a log. He hit the flowers, rolling over them and shaking their golden pollen into the air. His yellow head popped up, covered in golden dust, still laughing.

"Neji!" he called. "You've got to try it!"

He turned up his nose in refusal.

"Come on! It's fun! Live a little!"

He had his dignity. Rolling around like some child… Then again, it did look like fun. No one was around. It wasn't like anyone would see him do it. The Hyuga clan would never know about this and think less of him for doing something so foolish. Rolling his eyes, Neji ran down the hill.

"Four legs is cheating! I mean roll!"

Tucking his legs up, Neji allowed himself to fall down the hill, rolling the same way Naruto had. His long horns jabbed the earth, ripping up dirt and knocking him off balance. He rolled tail first into the flowers and disappeared in a cloud of gold. Naruto cheered for him. Neji rose up from the flowers and shook his head, dirt still clinging to the ends of his horns.

"How was that?" Naruto asked, still laughing. "Fun, huh?"

Neji sneezed, blowing pollen into the air. He stood up, shaking his body again.

"You've got dirt on your horns." Naruto reached up with both hands, telling Neji to lower his head. He allowed Naruto to brush the dirt off his horns but they were still stained brown. That was why he couldn't sleep on his back. His horns kept getting stuck.

Naruto flopped back into the flowers and rolled. He was being so carefree. It made Neji a little uncomfortable. Naruto started doing cartwheels and flips, stirring up even more pollen. Then Naruto stopped and called Neji over. Hopefully this meant that they would be going now.

"Hey, Neji… you think I could use you like a sled and ride you down the hill?"

Neji slapped him with his tail.

"Fine, fine… Crossed the line. Ok."

They spent their time frolicking in the flowers and tall grass. Naruto, mostly, while Neji watched. Over time, Neji started to feel a little more comfortable with the idea and started to run alongside Naruto while he performed stunts in the flowers and grass. Neji swung his tail and Naruto jumped over it, making a game. Naruto swung from his horns and ran as Neji chased him. They made it to the other side covered in pollen and grass stains and dirt.

"See? I told you it would be fun." Naruto opened his gourd for a drink. They were running out of water. Naruto only had a few sips left. "We'd better find a stream somewhere."

With so many flowers, there must have been a water source nearby. As they walked, they came across a narrow stream and stopped for a drink. Neji washed his face in the water after Naruto was finished filling his gourd and shook himself dry. Eventually he would need a real bath. He was looking forward to that more than anything right now.

They crossed the stream and Naruto hopped onto Neji's back for a ride. There were more trees ahead which meant Neji would have to duck again. This journey would have gone much faster if only Neji were willing to fly. But Naruto didn't want to bring that up again.

This journey had brought them many things. Many regrets, many rewards, friendship. If they had flown, they would have missed out on a lot. Naruto still had regrets about last night. Last night while they walked, he kept thinking how they should have kept going. If only they had not stopped at that garden, they would have avoided so much. But meeting those Seiha brothers may have been a blessing in disguise somehow. He had learned a bit from meeting them. He learned more about himself, too. Now he knew what Neji had wasn't meant for anyone. Those who saw it as a curse were correct and those who saw it as a blessing may choose to take advantage of it for all the wrong reasons. Power did corrupt. Naruto now knew that he wasn't so easily swayed. He would hold true to his beliefs and wouldn't do the easy thing. He wouldn't take advantage of people and he wouldn't use them. His friends were worth too much. Had they passed them by, Naruto may not have realized that. Even if he already knew it, he may not have realized it. And had they flown, Naruto would have never met Seji or enjoyed his party or received his gifts. Naruto would have never met that little girl either. Maybe it was ok that they didn't fly. There were too many things to overlook down here.

A low hanging branch caught Naruto's attention. "Hang on a second, Neji." He reached up and pulled an apple from the branch. "Look! I found us some lunch!"

Neji opened his mouth and Naruto tossed it in. There were more ahead. They wouldn't have to worry about going hungry for a while as long as they were in these woods.

Feasting on juicy apples, Naruto and Neji walked through the woods for many hours. Having eaten too many apples, Naruto bolted off Neji's back and ran into the woods, gripping his lower stomach. Groaning, Neji sat where he was and waited for Naruto to return. He knew it was only a matter of time before Naruto ate himself sick.

As he waited, he noticed birds circling overhead, chirping playfully. He stretched out his neck to watch them more closely. They flew off after a fashion and their song faded away. Neji then amused himself with a stone he found on the ground, rolling it back and forth in his claws. The birds returned and Neji looked back up. Looking through the thick branches made him feel like he was in a cage. The birds flew free while Neji remained rooted to the spot, watching from below.

He started to think that maybe it would be ok for him to try flying again. As a dragon, it must have come naturally to him. He didn't fly before because he was worried about being spotted. He wasn't very good at it, either, given his first attempt as they fled the village many days ago. With a little bit of practice, he would get better. It was the same as his fire-breathing. All he had to do was train himself. As he watched the birds flying free above his head, he longed for nothing more at that moment. He wanted to feel the kind of freedom they felt. It was so natural to them, they didn't even have to think about it.

Not flying away from anything. Just flying. Freely…

"Ugh…" Naruto had returned, zipping up his pants. "I shouldn't have eaten so many…"

Neji turned away from the sky and stood up, snorting for Naruto to come. He climbed onto his back and they resumed their long walk.

The woods continued on the other side of a narrow stream. Neji bent down for another drink while Naruto read the map again. They were on the right path and the next village was close by. Neji carried Naruto across the stream and into the continuing woods. These threes bore no fruit so there was little temptation. Soon the trees thinned out and they came across a flat path of land. Naruto slipped down to walk on his own for a while. The mountains in the distance drew closer with every steps they took. As they walked, Naruto noticed Neji was keeping very close to him. Much closer than before. He looked from side to side often as they passed through the open space as if keeping an eye out for danger.

"It'll be dark in a little while," Naruto said looking up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set already. "You know, this journey hasn't been so bad." He began to chuckle. "You're not yelling at me anymore."

Neji looked down.

"It's ok. I know you yell for a reason. It's fine." Naruto sighed. "I kind of miss hearing your voice, though." He had been starting to miss Neji's succinct speech. His analytical way of putting things. He missed hearing his voice; even his criticisms. "Don't worry about it. I'll hear your voice again and then you can yell at me all you want."

Neji crooned for the second time. Naruto almost stopped walking, he was so surprised to hear such a sound coming from the dragon's throat. Choosing to ignore it, Naruto kept walking.

The plains opened up before them under the setting sun. Naruto inhaled deeply. Just a little further ahead was the last village on the map and their destination. By tomorrow, all this struggle will have been worth it. The last village on the map was the one they wanted to reach. It was their only chance for a cure. It wasn't much longer now.

Naruto turned to Neji who looked down with his blanched eyes. "Let's get going, Neji!"

The dragon acquiesced with a small roar.

"Yes! Alright! Let's go!"

Naruto took off in a run. Neji quickly followed, nipping at the air with his fangs as they raced. It wasn't much further now. The dragon and the boy ran, laughing together, chasing the sunset under the rainbow colored sky.

* * *

Any thoughts?

We'll be reaching the village in the next chapter and hopefully have answers for poor Neji. That is, if anyone from the Dragon Priestess's clan is still alive.

Please review ^-^


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: **

They found a quiet place to rest for the night beneath a tall tree. Again, Neji used his tail as a blanket to cover Naruto and the two slept curled up together. They went to sleep an hour after sunset with the intention of rising early so they could reach the next village during the day. Naruto didn't want to go searching around in the dark for a place he had never been to before.

When the sun rose, so did the dragon. Neji opened his eyes first and looked down at Naruto, sprawled out over his body like a carelessly placed rag doll. He waited but Naruto did not rise. He snorted in his face, blowing his blond hair back. Naruto twitched but didn't wake up. Neji then began to nudge him with his nose. He pushed Naruto's head onto his other shoulder, growling softly. He continued to nudge him until Naruto started making sounds. He moaned and raised his hand to stop Neji's prodding. Neji kept it up, more determined than ever to wake him.

"Neji, stop… Stop it, Neji…" Naruto faced away, pushing Neji back with his hand. He continued to nudge him. "Knock it off…"

"Ruu!" Neji nudged him harder and faster. His smoky breath and constant nudging made it impossible to go back to sleep. Naruto started to sit up.

"Alright, alright. I'm up, I'm up…"

Neji gave a pleased growl and stopped pushing. He seemed excited to be so close to their goal. Their destination was just a day's walk from where they sat. Naruto started stretching and yawning while Neji did the same. He stood up rubbing his legs while the dragon uncoiled himself, wagging his tail and shaking his head.

"Ok, I guess you want to get going, don't you?"

Neji's tail wagged and he gave a happy growl. He circled around the tree several times and then pointed his body toward the road. Naruto had never seen Neji behave this way. He must have been very excited and wanted to show it to Naruto the only way he knew how. It was strange, however. Neji was never this expressive before.

They left right away, following the map's instructions. As they walked, they noticed some fruit bearing trees and their stomachs rumbled. Sick of apples, Naruto wasn't sure if he wanted anything the trees had to offer. As it turned out, these were peach trees, not apple trees. This Naruto could eat without complaints. Neji made things easier by letting Naruto sit on his head while he tossed down the peaches. They had gathered up several dozen peaches and started eating them immediately. Neji bit off a branch of peaches directly from the tree and ate it, bark and all.

"How about I just toss them to you?" Naruto suggested, realizing that Neji couldn't pick the fruit as easily as he could. Neji agreed and opened his mouth. Naruto tossed in several peaches before sitting down to his own. His mouth filled with juicy peach flesh and groans of delight. "These are great, aren't they? It's been a while since I had peaches."

Unable to wait for Naruto to toss him more peaches, Neji helped himself to Naruto's pile instead. Naruto never told him to stop so he assumed it was acceptable. After a breakfast of peaches, Naruto gathered up any leftovers into the brocade bag and they were soon off again.

Two hours passed and suddenly the trees came to a stop. It was the edge of the peach forest. Naruto stepped out first and saw a sight he had been hoping for. It was a thick white wall. The wall wasn't very large as expected from a place that wanted to keep people out. It wasn't a fortress at all, just a wall that fenced in the area, keeping wild animals out. Naruto could see rooftops and flags fluttering in the gentle breeze and could hear voices and laughter. He could smell smoke coming from behind the walls and could see the puffs coming from the buildings.

"It's the village. We made it."

Neji poked his head between the trees to take a look for himself. Naruto pushed him back before he got too far beyond the forest.

"Hang on a second, Neji."

The dragon gave him a puzzled look.

Remembering how the Seiha brothers Shi, Kyo, and Touzoku reacted to seeing a dragon, Naruto wasn't taking anymore changes. This village may have been the place where the Dragon Priestess originated, but there was no guarantee that the villagers would be welcoming of a real-live dragon on their doorstep this day and age. Until Naruto got more information, Neji would have to remain hidden.

"Stay here, just in case. I'm going to head into the village and see if I can find someone who can help us." Naruto took off the brocade bag and dumped the leftover peaches at his feet. "Just sit tight while I go on ahead. I'll leave these here for you so you have something to snack on."

Neji gave him a concerned look. It seemed he didn't want to be left behind on his own.

"I'll be back as soon as I can, ok? Just sit tight."

Neji stretched out his neck and touched his head to Naruto's. It was an odd gesture, but Naruto thought he understood. He was wishing him good-luck. Naruto reached up and scratched the side of Neji's jaw.

"Wait here, ok? I'll be back." He returned the bag to his back and backed away from the forest. Neji watched him with sad eyes. Naruto wondered if he was disappointed that he couldn't enter the village he had been hoping for ever since this fiasco began, or because he would miss Naruto while he was gone. He gave Neji a wave and turned, walking toward the white walls.

Naruto stood at the tall wooden gates, looking up at the walls fencing in the village. They weren't very tall at all. Roughly ten feet or so. There were no guards either. It would be rather easy getting in. Naruto gave one last look at the forest where he knew Neji was hidden, took in a breath and pushed the wooden doors open.

At first glance, it looked more like a city than a village. The building were quite tall and tightly packed together. As he walked, Naruto felt more comfortable wandering this strange place by himself. No one said anything or bothered him. They weren't welcoming, or rude. The people here seemed rather indifferent to his presence. It seemed like a rather nice place to live. Further from the gate, Naruto saw shops and stands with people selling things and customers negotiating prices. People were walking their pets, children were playing in the street, adults were chatting. It was a very peaceful place.

A crowd of people passed him by, engrossed in their own conversations. No one took notice of him. After they had passed, he noticed even more shops. These ones got his attention right away. Naruto ran up to the first window and peeked inside. It was a restaurant. People were packed into booths, eating a wide variety of foods and wines. Seeing the different dishes made his mouth water. One woman looked up from her meal and spotted Naruto in the window. Unnerved by her stare, Naruto slinked away back into the crowd of people bustling by.

"That place is too fancy anyway… It's not like I have any money to…" Naruto stuffed his hands into his pockets and felt something. Something round and hard. He pulled out a lone coin. "Oh, yeah! That little girl gave it to me. I forgot all about it."

This single coin wouldn't offer him much. Certainly not enough to eat in one of those restaurants. But it would be enough to get him something to eat elsewhere.

Naruto began to do a little window shopping. Following his nose, Naruto went straight to a bakery and pressed his nose against the window, eying all the sweets with hungry eyes. So many decorative cakes and cookies and pies and breads and so much more. Everything looked so delicious. He swallowed his saliva and moved on to another window. This one also had pies in the window. Apple pies. Tired of apples, Naruto turned away, in search of something else. He then came across what appeared to be a butcher shop. Chickens hung upside-down in the window on the right above a sign describing recent deals. Naruto was looking in the window on the left which had a wide display of meats all set and ready to be picked up for dinner. Naruto was busy eying the honey glazed ham right up front.

"Maybe I should get it," he thought allowed. "I could eat a bit of it and give the rest to Neji. He likes meat a lot now." Naruto looked down at the coin, hoping it would be enough.

Just as he was about to enter the shop, he heard a voice down the street. It was an old woman. Naruto could tell by her voice. The rest of her was completely covered up by rags, which looked like pieces of old rags used to wash floors stitched loosely together. She was reaching out to a vendor with shaking wrinkled hands.

"Please," she was begging him. "Please? Just one. Please take pity on an old woman. Please?" The vendor refused, keeping a tightly hold of his fruit stand and everything on it. The more the woman begged, the more angry he became. He waved her away from his stand. "Get! No money, no fruit. You know this. Now get out of here. You're bad for business."

"Please?" The woman's voice creaked. "Just one? Your smallest? Just a grape? A single grape?"

"I said get! Get lost, old woman! Go!"

Seeing this display happen before his eyes reminded Naruto of himself just a few days ago in the last village. He had begged a similar way to the farmer who lived there, wanting food; anything he could get. He, too, was told no and asked to leave. The farmer was kinder than this man. This man was just greedy and rude to boot. Surely this vendor could spare her something.

The beggar woman moved to the street, pleading with passersby to spare her some change so that she could eat. Her hands trembled with hunger. She was so frail and old, it was all she could do to keep from falling over as people passed her by without so much as looking down. Some people walked on the other side of the street to avoid her while others kept a tight hold of their pocketbooks, refusing to give her anything. With one hand, she kept the front of her rags closed while the other was held out toward the people, shaking weakly. No one showed her any shred of pity.

The vendor chased her away, demanding that she leave before he took action. The old woman shuffled down the road, looking like she would collapse at any moment.

Naruto looked down at the coin, still hot in his hand and knew what he had to do.

"Hey, wait! Old lady!" Naruto ran in front of the woman, cutting her off. "Hang on a second. Here." Naruto took out all the money he had and placed it into the old woman's boney hand in the same fashion the little girl had done for him. "Take it."

The old woman looked down at the lone coin in the palm of her shaking wrinkled hand as if he had handed her gold. She closed her boney fingers around the coin and held it tight, closing her eyes as if she were about to cry. "Oh, my dear boy… Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Don't worry about it." Naruto had been in her position before. He knew what it was like to be hungry and have everyone around treat him cruelly because he had no money to his name. He saw the way this woman carried herself. She was clearly sick and frail. She was a poor old woman. This may have been her only chance to eat in weeks. No one showed her pity or kindness. Naruto was the only one. He didn't mind. There were plenty of peaches just beyond those walls. He didn't need that ham. He had plenty of money back home, too. This old woman needed it more than he did.

Keeping her rags closed across her chest, the old woman took the coin and bowed her head to Naruto. "Thank you so much for your kindness. You have a good heart." She started to walk around him, completely overlooking the fruit stand she had been begging to. This struck Naruto as odd. If she was so hungry, why wasn't she buying the fruit she had wanted so desperately moments ago?

What she did next made his heart stop for a full two seconds. As she passed him by, she whispered to him clearly. So clear, it was unmistakable.

"I hope you find the cure to your dragon friend waiting outside."

Naruto stopped breathing. So many things ran through his mind at once. How did she know about Neji? Who was this old woman? Naruto turned around and saw her walking away. "W- wait!" He had to find out. "Come back! Old lady, stop!"

He chased her down the road. A few minutes ago, it was all she could do to stand up on her own. Now she was moving swiftly down the street, outrunning the spry young ninja. She moved so fast, it was as if she were gliding across the ground. Like a ghost.

Naruto weaved through the crowd, trying to stay on her. "Please, wait! Old lady!" She never looked back. At the end of the block, she turned a sudden corner, disappearing from his view. "Wait! Stop!" Naruto turned the same corner and ran into something and was knocked off his feet.

"Oh!"

"Ouch!" Naruto sat up rubbing his shoulder. There was a woman knelt in front of him, picking up her fallen groceries. "Ah, I'm sorry!"

"That's alright…"

Naruto looked passed the woman, looking down the narrow road they were on. There was no sign of the old woman anywhere. "Say, you didn't happen to see an old lady run by this way, did you?"

"An old lady?" The woman looked over her shoulder. "Here? Just now?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't see anybody. You're the only one I saw."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I was just walking down this way when I heard someone yell 'wait' and then you came around the corner and ran into me. If there was an old woman running this way, I would have seen her for sure."

It didn't make any sense. How could an old woman just disappear like that?

While trying to figure out what went wrong, Naruto helped the woman gather her belongings and collected them in her woven bag. "Sorry about that."

"I said it was alright. I'm not hurt or anything."

Now Naruto got a good look at the woman he had run into. She was rather pretty. She looked fairly young, possibly in her twenties. Her dark brown hair was pinned up in a bun in the back, letting her bangs hang loose off to one side of her head. She also wore earrings the color of wheat. But the odd thing about her appearance was her clothing. Unlike the other people in this village, she was wearing silk. It was a silk hanfu the color of the summer sky with a purple flower pattern.

The woman caught him staring. "What is it?"

"Uh… It's nothing. I was just…"

A man stepped up behind the woman and placed his hand lovingly on her shoulder. "Is something wrong, Shira? Who are you talking to?"

"I haven't asked his name, honey. But we ran into each other. He helped me pick things up."

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

The man smiled. "My name is Nianzu. It's a pleasure."

"He said he was looking for an old woman. I didn't see anyone. Did you?" asked the woman he called Shira.

Nianzu looked down the road and to the other side. "No. I saw no one." Nianzu had black hair he kept in a ponytail and dark, gentle eyes. Just like the woman, he, too, was wearing a silk outfit. Unlike hers, his was red and black.

Still fixated on the old woman, Naruto tried describing her to them and told them exactly where she had gone. "You're sure you didn't see the old lady?"

"No, we haven't seen anyone like that. Why are you looking for her? Is she important to you? Do you know her?"

"I…" Naruto sighed. There was no way he could explain it. "It's nothing. Never mind. Thanks anyway."

Nianzu chuckled, pulling Shira in close. "It's like that story I heard a long time ago. You remember that, darling? That spirit?"

"Yes, yes. I've heard that story from you before… many times."

Spirit? Story? Naruto began to wonder… These people seemed kind enough. Maybe he should trust them. Still wary after his earlier run-in with the Seiha brothers, Naruto felt the need to put it to the test, just in case. Though they seemed trustworthy, Naruto had to make sure before he told them about Neji and their quest. "Um… I have a question for you two."

"Yes?"

Naruto phrased it carefully. "Have you guys ever heard of a story about cursed Dragon Pearls or something like that?"

Nianzu's eyes twinkled. "Of course, I have. Ah, those have been passed down for ages… The legend of the Dragon Priestess."

"So you know about the Dragon Priestess?" Naruto asked.

Nianzu laughed. "Of course I do! I'm her descendant."

Again, Naruto's heart stopped beating. His breath caught in his throat. And then, all at once, it came back along with a great burst of energy. "Really?! No kidding?! You're dead serious?!"

"I wouldn't lie about my ancestry. You have my word." Just to prove himself real to Naruto, he rolled up his sleeve, showing Naruto the gold bracelet he was wearing in the shape of a dragon coiling around his wrist. "See? Passed down from generation to generation to the next heir. This belonged to my father and his father before him and his father before him and his-"

"Honey, he gets it."

"Haha, sorry… It's just I've never had that kind of reaction before. Everyone just assumes it's fairy-tales."

Naruto couldn't believe it. A real living descendant. The headman had said that there may have been living relatives still living in this village. What luck! It was true. It was all true. Naruto couldn't believe it was really happening. This journey wasn't all for nothing. They had finally found the family who started it all. A living descendent of the Dragon Priestess. Naruto was ready to collapse in relief but chose to jump for joy instead.

* * *

Nianzu and Shira took Naruto to their home located in the far corner of the village. It was a humble little home. Despite how they may have dressed, they clearly weren't rich. It was a small house, with just enough room for two people to leave comfortably. Naruto climbed the three steps to the front door and was shown inside. It was very well kept but there wasn't a lot of furnishing.

"Make yourself at home," Nianzu told him, getting more comfortable himself. He showed Naruto to a square table in the middle of the floor and asked him to sit. Naruto did as he was told, removing the empty bag from his back and setting it down beside him. Nianzu noticed this, eying it curiously. "May I see your bag for a moment?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." Naruto passed it to him, sliding it across the table.

Nianzu picked it up in both hands, looking it over carefully. "This is a very fine bag. Carefully woven, perfect stitching… beautiful design… How is it you've come across this? I didn't expect a ninja to be carrying something this expensive around with him on missions."

"It was given to me by someone from another village."

Nianzu smiled. "You happened upon a very kind village to give you something like this. I haven't seen something this fine in a very long time. It's well made, too. It won't tear easily."

Maybe one act of kindness deserved another. "You can keep it if you want."

He looked at Naruto in surprise and smiled happily. "Really? Thank you so much. How kind of you." Nianzu set the bag aside but continued to look at it, very pleased.

Naruto figured that he wouldn't need the bag anymore. Besides, this man was kind enough to let him into his home and invite him for lunch. He owed him something. At any rate, Naruto wanted to get on the man's good side. Maybe if he gave him the bag, he would be more likely to tell him secrets of his family. Maybe even the curse binding Neji to his scaly form. This seemed a good way to break the ice.

Nianzu looked across the table at Naruto, still smiling. "Ah, I feel like the Spirit of Good Fortune. I may be indebted to you now."

"What's the Spirit of Good Fortune?" asked Naruto. He had heard many stories from the village holding the Dragon's Pearl, but he was unfamiliar with that one.

"Oh, it's a story his family told for ages," answered his wife from the kitchen. She was hard at work preparing them lunch.

"I've never heard that one. How does it go?" As usual, Naruto was easily distracted.

Nianzu was happy to tell the tale to his eager guest. "It's an old tale about a rich man who used to live in this very village. He shared his wealth with many people. He never hoarded."

Naruto grinned, instantly reminded of Seji from the other village.

"The people of the village respected him very much and treated him very well. Whenever he left his home, the people would gather around and bow to him, no matter the time of day. He was treated like a king though he was not of royal blood. For years this went on, until one day, he decided to put the people who adored him to the test. You see, this rich man was a wise man as well as a trickster. He enjoyed playing games and pulling pranks on people in his lifetime. As kind as the people were to him, he had always suspected something was amiss. So one day, he left his house in secrecy through a hidden door. He disguised himself as a poor man, pulling a cloak over his head so that no one could tell it was him. He went into the town square and humbly begged passing people for any spare change they had on them for food."

Something about this story seemed oddly familiar to him.

"The people of the street were very cruel to him, giving him nothing but complaints and harsh names. They could spare no kindness toward a moneyless man on the verge of starvation. Even the vendors wouldn't give him anything to eat. He went back to his home and emerged as himself. When he stepped out into the square this time, things were much different. The vendors even offered him food, free of charge. Seeing how shallow and coldhearted the people of the village could be, the rich man decided to leave and never return. He couldn't live among such cruel people who only valued money and a person's worth based on such."

Naruto hung on his every word. It sounded like no more than a fairytale, but somehow he understood. This may have actually been true.

"The rich man was never seen again," Nianzu continued. "However, some say his spirit lives on as a shape shifter, taking on pathetic forms to test a person's heart. If a person shows him kindness or any sort of generosity, he blesses them with good fortune. One kind act deserves another, after all. He rewards those with good hearts. That's why he's known as the Spirit of Good Fortune."

"What kind of things does he take the form of exactly?"

"Oh, anything. He's been known to disguise himself as anything that could easily be overlooked. A poor man on the street, a starving child, a dog, an old beggar woman… anything really."

Naruto's heart was beating fast. Could that old woman on the street have been..? It must have. She disappeared so quickly. And, as luck would have it, the very corner she turned happened to lead him right to the very person he had to meet. Now he was here with a direct descendant of the Dragon Priestess. That was very good fortune indeed. Naruto couldn't believe it. He had just met a real spirit and didn't even realize it.

"A lot of people have heard that story. But most people just think it's to teach children good manners and kindness," Nianzu said. "It's up to them whether to believe it or not. I like to believe in spirits. I think they exist."

Shira brought out a tray of hot tea for them, setting it on the table. She smiled at her husband and he smiled back.

"We've already been blessed with good fortune, we'd like to think."

"Oh?" Naruto lifted his head, wondering if there was going to be another story.

Nianzu nodded and stroked his wife's stomach tenderly. "Soon, there will be three people living in this house. We've always wanted a family together."

Naruto blinked and then stood up. "You mean you're going to have a baby?! And I ran into you like that?! Oh, man, I'm sorry! I hope I didn't-"

"It's ok!" she laughed. "It'll take more than that, I'm sure. Besides, I'm not expecting for six more months. There's still a ways to go. I'm sure everything's fine. Besides, you hit the bag, not me so much. It cushioned the blow."

Naruto sat back down, relieved. Then he started to wonder… "Are there a lot of stories your family has passed down?"

Nianzu nodded. "Oh, yes. Many."

"It's true," added Shira. "He never forgets to remind me of them. Every single time." She playfully slapped his shoulder and went back into the kitchen, giggling.

"Are you interested in those stories?" Nianzu asked.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I went through a village that had a whole bunch of stories. But a lot of them are a bit mixed up."

"That's bound to happen over the years. People tell it differently, things get changed, improvised. I understand." Nianzu's eyes started to twinkle again. "There are stories about the Dragon Priestess, too. Would you like to hear those?"

"Yeah, yeah!" Naruto bounced up and down in his seat like a child. Nianzu laughed, more than happy to oblige.

* * *

Story time!

How you liking the story within a story deal? Fun, huh?

Please review! ^-^


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: **

Naruto sat down to lunch with Nianzu and his wife, enjoying his host's stories. He knew Nianzu had to have been related to the Dragon Priestess. He knew many legends and stories just like the villagers in the place where this all started. While many tales were fascinating, Naruto knew they were getting off track. But he didn't interrupt once, sure that Nianzu would tell him something that related to their predicament and would be able to help them.

While Shira went back into the kitchen, cleaning up, Naruto saw his chance and asked Nianzu something. "So the Priestess… I heard that she came from this village. Is that right?"

"It is," answered Nianzu. "In fact, this was her home. This very building we're in right now. This was once hers."

Naruto looked around the small home. This was the very place she lived so long ago. She lived here, sat where he sat. It was an interesting feeling, as if living in the history believed to be nothing more than a story. "All these years..?"

"Yes. We've maintained it well over the years. Little has changed. It's very important to us so we do everything in our power to keep it. A way of preserving our family's history. This house is all we have left of her."

Naruto turned back to him. "So… she traveled and started a new village. That's what I heard."

"You heard right. That's what we've been told. I'm not sure of her reasons, but I'm sure she had them." Nianzu sat back, breathing deeply. He seemed to be reminiscing. "There are many stories of her travels. And there are stories we believe are related to her travels but have never been confirmed."

"Such as?"

Again, Nianzu was happy to tell him. It was obvious that he hadn't had a guest over for some time. He had so many stories but no one to tell them to. He wanted to share his family's history with anyone willing to listen.

"There was once a village, far from here. The land was perfect for farming and many people lived there. Including a noble family. They were quite rich and it was no secret. One rainy evening, a poor man came to their door, asking for some money for an inn. Taking pity on the man, the family agreed to give him something for his travels. He thanked them and left. Three days later, he returned with more people and weapons. They broke into the home and demanded the family's riches. They argued and pleaded. Finally one of the men decided to take the family's youngest son as ransom. They grabbed what they could and fled the home. The family could do nothing but watch in horror as their son was taken from them as well as a handful of jewels. There was a sound from outside like thunder and a bright flash of light. The family heard screaming from the street but were too afraid to move. Then there was nothing. No sound and no light. Bravely, the father opened the front door and looked outside. A small voice from above caused the father to look up. On the roof of their home was their captured son, alive and well. On the ground below were the charred remains of the kidnappers and five of their stolen jewels. When they asked their son what happened, he could not say. It was too dark to tell. However, he described something that resembled a large lizard snatching him up and flying him to safety."

"I bet it was one of the Priestess's dragons!" Naruto burst out, thinking he was so clever. It also made sense. Inside that shrine, Naruto noticed that there were small jewels on one of the shelves. The dragons must have picked them up from the kidnappers and brought them to her. Perhaps as a gift or payment for their good deed.

"That's what we decided as well. Her dragon's must have saved the boy as they were passing by that evening." Nianzu sighed. "However, after that night, the family decided never to share their wealth with anyone ever again. They saw what troubles it brought. So from then on, they never took pity on anyone, even when asked. They kept their money to themselves, fearing that this would happen again in the future. This rule they passed down to their children for generations. They thought it best for the family. They wanted to be safe."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. That family rule sounded an awful lot like Seji's family. Could they have been related somehow?

Shaking his thoughts away, Naruto decided to ask him something else. "So her dragons… she had more than one, right?"

"Since everything we have on her, stories and whatnot, all use the plural version, we assume so."

"And all the dragons have pearls on their heads, right? What happens to them when the dragon's die? Do they stick around?"

Nianzu nodded slowly. "It's believed that when a dragon dies, their pearls are the only things that remain of their body. There are many, many different stories and versions of this, but everything mentions the pearls staying behind."

"And the Priestess brought her dragons with her when she left this village and started her own, right? So that means that a dragon would have been at that village… and then died, leaving its pearl behind. Right?"

"I would assume so." Nianzu leaned forward, his face serious. "Why all the questions about dragon pearls?"

Confident that he had enough information, Naruto decided to tell him. "Well… I can from that village… with my friend. There was a shrine and we went inside, even when we were told not to. There was an orb in there and the villagers called it a Dragon's Pearl. He touched it and… now he's a dragon. He turned into a dragon."

Nianzu didn't looked surprised to hear something like that. However, he did look concerned. "Oh. I see."

"We asked them if they could help him, but they said they didn't know of a cure to the curse or anything so they sent us here and said that if I managed to find a living heir, you'd be able to help me change him back." Naruto clasped his hands together and bowed his head low. "Please, please, please help us. Please? You're our last hope. I promised I'd help him change back. Please!"

Nianzu stared at the top of Naruto's bowed head without a word. Naruto said nothing and waited for him to make a sound. Nianzu shifted in his seat, starting to get up.

"Alright," he said. "I'll do what I can to help you."

Naruto lifted his head. "Really? Thank-"

"But…" Nianzu interrupted. "I will need to see your friend. I'd like to see what condition he's in. At any rate, I've never seen a living dragon before. I'd like to meet him. Where is he now?"

"He's outside the village in the forest." Naruto pointed over his shoulder in the direction of the peach trees outside. "I wasn't sure how everyone would react seeing him walk around with me in the street."

Nianzu stood up and took Naruto onto the porch. He pointed to the wall beside his house. "When you fetch him, take him over this wall right here. The wall isn't very large so you should managed and no one should see him. Very few people come this way."

"So over that wall? Got it." Naruto nodded and jumped down from the porch. "I'll be right back." He took off running back the way he came toward the front gates of the village.

* * *

Outside the village, hidden among the peach trees, Neji waited. He had finished all the peaches Naruto had left for him in two bites and now had nothing to do. He sat by the opening of the forest and waited, staring at the front gates. He made a small whimpering noise, missing Naruto. He had never been parted from him this long and felt lonely waiting in the forest by himself.

Unable to take it any longer, Neji crept out of his hiding place and approached the closed village. He stood by the gates, watching them. Any second, Naruto may come through them. When he didn't, Neji grew even more upset. He turned from the gate and walked along the side of the walls, scrapping his scales against the white stone. While he didn't admit it, Neji thought just standing by the village might make him feel a bit less lonely. Though he could have easily looked over the walls, Neji chose not to, keep himself hidden from sight.

The gates opened and Naruto came out of the village. He started to run back toward the forest, but something caught his eye. Around the side wall was a large dragon pacing the ground. "Neji!"

The dragon turned. Spotting his friend, he gave a joyous roar and bounded over to him. He nudged Naruto's head with his snout in greeting.

"I told you to stay put! What are you doing over here?"

Of course, Neji gave him no answer.

Naruto puffed out his chest with pride, remembering their mission. "Guess what? I found him! I found a guy who's related to the Dragon Priestess. He's going to help us!"

Neji's eyes widened with joy. He looked even happier.

"Come on. Over here." Naruto led Neji around the outside of the village walls and over to the back. Neji sniffed the air off in the distance, but Naruto wouldn't give him the chance to investigate. "Come on. Over here, Neji."

He stood by the wall, pointing straight up.

"Go over the wall. This should be Nianzu's house just over here. Come one, let's go."

Naruto expected him to climb over this wall? Obediently, Neji straightened his long body, climbing up the wall. Slithering like a serpent, Neji went over the wall, landing on the other side. Naruto jumped up after him, landing beside him in Nianzu's yard. He was waiting for them on the porch. Naruto waved and brought Neji over to the house.

Upon seeing the dragon, Nianzu's jaw dropped. His wife stood by the door, watching from afar. She seemed afraid of the dragon standing in their yard. Nianzu stepped forward cautiously. Neji allowed him to approach, watching. He looked at Naruto, asking him something with his eyes.

Naruto nodded. "That's him." He knew exactly what Neji was asking him.

Realizing that this was the man who would help him, Neji bowed his head low in respect and gratitude.

The man saw the dragon do so and wanted to try something he had always wanted to. "May I?" Nianzu asked.

Naruto nodded. "Go for it."

Nianzu reached out with his hand very slowly. Neji lifted his head and sniffed his palm. Then he lowered his head and allowed Nianzu to pet his snout. Nianzu stroked him gently. A grin began to form on his face seeing the dragon was enjoying it. "This is incredible. I've never seen a dragon before.. And now I'm petting one. This is amazing. No one will ever believe this."

Naruto waited while Nianzu got a good look at Neji from all sides. Naruto wasn't sure what he was doing, but it must have been important. Then Nianzu motioned for Neji to come near his house and out of sight from anyone traveling out this far. Neji followed and sat on the ground by the house. Nianzu seemed satisfied and did nothing else.

He turned to Naruto. "So how did this happen again?"

"He touched a Dragon's Pearl. It's supposed to be cursed or something. I guess it was…" Naruto looked at Neji, feeling guilty. "All he did was touch it. It's all my fault."

"I see." Nianzu looked at the dragon again. "He's a ninja just like you, I take it?"

"Yeah. He's a Jonin."

"Which mean what?"

"Oh, uh… That he's higher ranked than I am. He's considered an elite ninja." Naruto didn't blame him. Nianzu wouldn't know about ninja ranks or things like that. Naruto made sure not to make his answer sound rude, fearing that if he got on his bad side, he would refuse to help cure Neji. He had to behave himself. "So… can you fix him? Do you have the cure?"

Neji looked at the man expectantly.

Nianzu sighed heavily, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. I don't know how to cure your friend."

"What?!" Naruto felt his heart beat against his chest then sink down into his stomach. Neji shared his shock, growling in fear. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I mean… I don't possess the skills to reverse whatever happened to him. These were just stories. I've believed them all my life. But…" Nianzu looked down shamefully. "While I have her blood flowing through my veins, I do not possess her power. I wish I did, but… I'm sorry. I don't know what to do."

After the truth had a chance to sink in, Naruto turned to see how Neji was taking the news. He saw Neji's downcast eyes and read the pain and worry burning in his clear almond shaped eyes. He thought of their long travels and how they've led to this disappointment. The itinerary filled with joy and pain, fear and misery and pain. Their battle with the Seiha brothers and Shi's death after attempting to kill Neji for his pearl. Their good times at the village where Seji hosted his monthly party, feeding them and showing them a great time. The rude, greedy village putting them to work and then refusing to pay them. The little girl who took pity on them and gave them her only coin. The cold nights they had to huddle together for warmth, the pouring rain and the huge mud puddle Neji got stuck in. Their days spent in hunger and sadness. Their days spent walking for hours on end. Laughing and playing when a rare opportunity rose its head. Hunting and splashing in water, gathering what they could. Running from ignorant villagers and greedy thieves. Being driven from their home and attacked. All for this?

Naruto stepped up to Neji and stroked his long neck gently. "I'm sorry, Neji."

Neji didn't look up. He kept his head down with a sad whine. Naruto was free to go at any time. He chose to stay with him. Naruto could go home. Neji could not. He wasn't welcome back in the Leaf Village. What was he to do now? What was his life going to be like now? The hope driving him to make it this far was dashed. There was no hope for him now. It wasn't as painful a feeling as it was before. Maybe it was because Neji had grown to accept it. Maybe fate did rule over some things. This may have been something he could not change.

"I'm sorry, Neji." Naruto tried to comfort Neji while comforting himself. "I couldn't keep my promise. I'm sorry, Neji. This is all my fault. I'm sorry. I'm sorry." It was the only thing he could say. There was nothing else he could do. No words of comfort came to mind. He felt just as disappointed as Neji for failing him.

Nianzu approached, clearing his throat. He had watched the exchange between friends and knew he had to do something to help. "There is still a way."

Naruto and Neji looked up, hope filling their eyes. "Yeah?"

"While I may not possess the power to help you, I may own something that can." Nianzu gestured to his home. "There is some benefit to being a descendant. I do own many books about the Dragon priestess. I have diaries and documents and volumes and volumes of records of her and what she's done. I believe there may be mention of a cure in at least one of them. If we look, we may get the answers you need. It may explain how to reverse this."

Full of new hope, Naruto turned to Neji who looked just as excited as he did. He nodded and Naruto returned his nod. It may be the only thing they had left. "Alright!" Naruto pounded his chest with his fist once. "Let's get looking."

Nianzu showed Naruto inside. "Right this way."

Neji stayed where he was but looked in through the open window to watch them search. He felt so helpless. But this may be over very soon. They had made it this far and met someone who was related to the Priestess. He felt so grateful to Nianzu and to Naruto as well.

* * *

Naruto was brought back into the house and led to a back room. Nianzu slid open the wooden door, showing him inside. Naruto stepped forward. "This is where we keep the records. It's a library of shorts."

It was not what he expected. Naruto's mouth fell open when he saw the wall to wall shelves, packed with books. Scrolls and loose pieces of paper were stuffed between books and anywhere they would fit. Piles of books stood like towers on the floor among boxes containing even more scrolls and papers. It was a wide variety of books, too. Some were the kind Naruto was accustomed to seeing, but others were strange, bound together with pieces of thick string, the covers nothing more than thin wooden blocks. Some were bound together using leather while other books had no cover to them at all.

"I believe the answers you seek are somewhere in here in one of these."

"Are you kidding me?!" Naruto burst out, unable to stop himself. "There's got to be like a million books here! Why are there so many?! What is all this?!"

Nianzu recoiled slightly at Naruto's sudden outburst, but was no less helpful to him. "It's as I explained before. This room contains everything we know about our heritage, mostly the Dragon Priestess. Some of these were written in her hand. She may have written something about this curse and a way to reverse it."

"You expect me to search through all this stuff?!" He may have promised, but Naruto wanted to avoid reading a mini city made up entirely of books and papers as much as possible. Seeing the overwhelming cluster made him want to give up right now and count their losses. But he was still determined, empowered and devoted to his promise. The sad look on Neji's face was all the encouragement he needed. He gave Neji his word and was going to deliver. He had never given up before and he had faced much worse than this.

"I'll help you," Nianzu said. He squeezed passed Naruto, carefully stepping over the books and scrolls on the floor and took a seat in the center of the room. "I'll assist you as much as I can. We'll search together."

Nianzu was very accommodating. With this, Naruto couldn't argue and sat down near a tower of books, getting started. He was happy that Nianzu was so helpful and kind. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. He took a book from the top of the pile and opened it up. Right away he found a huge problem. "Uh… I can't read this."

"Hm?"

Naruto held up the book, showing it to Nianzu. "I think it's weathered or something. It's illegible."

Nianzu gave a soft, weary chuckle, looking at the pages with squiggly lines in neat little rows. "No, that's how it's meant to look."

Naruto looked at the pages. "It is?"

"Yes. That's Chinese. The book you're holding is written in Chinese."

"Chinese?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yes. I'm of Chinese decent. My family, tracing back countless generations, share that blood. It's believed that the Dragon Priestess was of that nationality as well. She was most likely Chinese herself."

No wonder he was dressed so. Naruto couldn't tell. Nianzu didn't even have an accent. This raised a new problem.

"I can't read Chinese!" Naruto hollered, shaking the book in his hand. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Don't worry. Not all of the books are like that. Just some. I can read Chinese. I'll be able to translate it as well if we find anything. Don't panic."

As usual, Nianzu remained calm and helpful. Naruto couldn't stay mad at him. Aside from Seji, Naruto couldn't think of anyone he had ever met before who was so helpful and didn't get angry so easily. Nodding, Naruto began making a pile out of the other piles of books he could not read, picking up books he could and reading them. They had to find answers.

Hours passed and they found nothing. They made separate piles on the floor of books they ha already gone through. Those piles were small in comparison to the ones they hadn't been through yet. Naruto would open any book he thought looked like it would possess some sort of magic spell that would reverse things, read it and then toss it in the pile and start again. His eyes began to sting after a while and he looked away from the worn pages, trying to rest his eyes. While he did so, he noticed the things around the room that weren't books. He noticed an old painting mounted on the wall by the door of a woman with dark hair, a large dragon encircling her body. It was a Chinese painting made of ink.

"Is that the Priestess?" Naruto asked.

Nianzu looked up at Naruto then followed his eyes to the painting. "Oh. Yes, it is." He grabbed a new book and set it in his lap. "That's an original painting of her and the only one we still possess. A painter used to live in this village. He was a good friend of hers."

"Really?"

"Mm-hm," he nodded. "He was an artist who worked with ink. Our history states that they got along very well. In fact, he went with her on her journey to the new village."

"Yeah. I saw a painting in the shrine they had in that village. I bet he's the one who made it."

"Could very well be." Nianzu returned to the book in his lap. "She had several friends. They all looked up to her and admired her. None wished her harm. Sometimes I wonder if any of them are still alive… I mean, relatives of theirs. I have no idea. There's no record of their families."

"What about yours?" Naruto asked, still looking at the painting. "Is it just you? You don't have any brothers or sisters or anything?"

He shook his head. "Afraid not. I've always wanted one, but I grew up alone. My father passed a few years ago. He had been sick for a while, so I knew it was coming."

"What about your mom?"

Nianzu grew quiet. He was looking down at the book, but his eyes weren't focused on its pages, looking somewhere Naruto could not see. "She, uh… She left us when I was a child."

"Left? What do you mean she left?"

Nianzu sighed heavily, now looking at the wall in front of him. "She left. She had said before that she wanted more and didn't want to live in a family whose history was made up of nothing but stories. She wanted someone who had money. I was nine. She just decided to leave us." Nianzu looked back down with a sad look on his face. "She never returned so I suppose she found what she was looking for."

Naruto felt sorry for him. Though he never showed it, he had some rough times in his life. He was in pain, too. "I'm sorry to hear that," was all he could say. He wanted to comfort him in some way.

"It's nothing. It happened a long time ago." Nianzu gave him a weak smile. "I'm grown up now so I don't need a mother to take care of me anymore. It's fine." His smiled became pure and happy as a thought came to his mind. "I have a wife to love and she takes very good care of me."

"Good to know."

Smiling, Nianzu went back to his book. Naruto decided to be quiet and let him read. After another minute, Naruto went back to reading as well.

Someone knocked on the wall beside the door and Shira stood in the threshold, looking down at the two on the floor. "How's it going in here?"

"Fine," Nianzu answered. He looked at the wall to his right. Though the room was windowless, he seemed to be looking at the dragon waiting outside. "I'm sure Naruto's friend is hungry. Do you think you could make him something to eat? Perhaps something with meat in it?"

Shira smiled brightly at the suggestion. She had never cooked for a dragon before and seemed excited to do so. "Of course. Coming right up. I'll get started on dinner as well."

"Uh," Naruto started. "Neji eats a lot now that he's so big, just to warn you."

"That's fine. There's only two of us living here so we have plenty of food. Don't worry about a thing." Shira went off to cook, leaving the two to do their own thing. Clearly, she wanted to help as well.

They both went back to reading. Their efforts seemed to be in vain. Nothing useful came from these pages. Naruto tossed books into the rising pile, sifting through the diminishing tower before him. When his current pile melted into nothing but a dustless square on the floor, he turned to another pile and began anew. He tossed books over to Nianzu when he came across something in Chinese and busied himself with a large scroll with a family history scrawled on it. Nianzu stacked his finished readings in a corner and moved on to a fresh pile nearby.

Meanwhile, Shira had finished cooking a large portion of meat and fish, throwing it all together in one big pot with a helping of white rice. She carried it, pot and all, outside to the dragon waiting by the window. Neji looked up when he heard footsteps and saw her bringing him food. Unsure how to feed him, she chose a grassy area and dumped it on the ground for him. Neji sniffed the food steaming in the grass and thanked her with a bow. She bowed back and walked back to the house, stopping momentarily to watch him eat. Neji dug right in, taking the grass along with the meat. What would have easily fed ten people was finished in four mouthfuls by the dragon. She may have had to rethink her feeding methods.

Inside, Naruto's eyes were beginning to itch. The words on the pages grew fuzzier with every book he read. He had lost track of how many he had gone through but knew it was more than he had ever read before. He could count the number of books he had at home on his hands and the number he had read cover to cover on one hand. This was too much. He wanted to give up so much but knew he couldn't. Easier though it may be, he promised Neji. He had to follow through on his word. That's what kept pushing him forward.

Dinner was called and the two took a break for the hot meal. Neji's nose poked in through the open window, sniffing. He was still hungry. Naruto fed him from his plate until Shira managed to scrape up some extra food from the kitchen. At this rate, Neji would devour everything in the house if they let him.

"Did you find anything?" Shira asked them.

Nianzu shook his head. "No. Nothing relating to a curse or a cure of any sort. But we still have a ways to go." He finished his bowl of rice, handing the empty bowl to his wife. "But after we eat, I'm going to start looking in her old diaries to see if there's mention of it somewhere. I'd better look through the documents and records left by her friends while I'm at it. I think that would be a good place to start now that we've been through a good part of the pile."

Naruto asked for seconds on his food, but there wasn't much left after Neji got a hold of it. His eyes were still tired from all the reading. Without realizing it, the sun had started setting. They had been in that room all day long, reading. Even with all their progress, they seemed no closer to a cure than when they started. But when he looked at the dragon peeking in through the window, Naruto knew he couldn't give up.

After dinner, they went right back to searching. Naruto gather armfuls of books from the shelves and dropped them at his feet, reading them as quickly as he could, but being sure not to miss anything. Anything may be important and easily overlooked if he was not careful. He skimmed pages, looking for key words, he read through the pages from top to bottom, going over every single word and leaving no page unturned. Within one of these books was the cure that they needed. In this vast ocean of books, there was one with the information they needed. It was worse than finding a needle in a hay stack. A needle was sharp and easily found if it pricked your finger. This was more like finding a straw colored thread in a hay stack. It was much harder. But he wouldn't give up.

For hours, he sat reading over books by candlelight, the sun hidden beyond the horizon. The moon mounted and the stars began to appear, called to greet the oval moon. It would be full in a couple of days, shining bright like a precious sea stone. Naruto read on. Even after everyone in the village had gone to bed, the tiny lights in their homes blown out, Naruto read on. As the village slept in the still night, Naruto continued to read. Tossing books aside, Naruto grasped the next one, hoping this was it. This was the one that held the answers. Alas, like all the others, it was not. Outside, Neji settled down by the side of the house listening to the sounds of pages turning and books being stacked in piles. Naruto read on and on and on, never stopping. Soon, even the dragon could not keep his eyes opened and fell into slumber in the yellow and green grass.

Naruto fought back yawns as he read from the book in his hands. He felt as if they were so close. Naruto caught himself nodding off and slapped himself in the face. Every now and then he would have to pinch himself to fight off sleep for a few minutes more. While the dark houses around them slept away, Naruto and Nianzu continued their work. Shira brought them cold glasses of water to help keep them away. She brought in a couple bottles of soda she had been saving hoping they would help.

Time ticked by slowly. Shira offered to help search, looking in books near the door, not wanting to tread into the piles lining the floor, caging the two inside. She read for an hour then set the book aside and moved into the next room to get them another drink. Even more time passed and Naruto discovered that pinching wasn't enough anymore. His eyes stung, his head throbbed, numb from so many readings. He rubbed his eyes, trying to get them to focus on the task at hand. Naruto stood up, his body stiff from sitting so long. He stretched his legs and went into the other room to see Shira. She handed him a glass of cold water and the first thing he did with it was splash it in his face. His jacket soaked and cold, Naruto knew he wouldn't be sleeping for a while longer.

He came back into the room and caught Nianzu leaning against one of the shelves, his head dangling over a large book in his lap. His eyes were closed. Naruto climbed over the books and shook him awake. Nianzu was reaching his limit.

An hour later, Shira found that she could no longer stay up and went to sleep in the bedroom around the corner. The house was so small, there was no room for hallways. Every room was joined with the living area. Naruto watched her enter the room and closed the door, leaving them alone. Naruto looked back at Nianzu who was having a hard time keeping his eyes open. He was just as determined as Naruto. He wanted to help him.

"Nianzu?"

"Hm?"

They had to stay awake somehow. Hopefully by starting a conversation, it would buy them a little more time. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mm-hmm."

"Would you want to get turned into a dragon?"

Nianzu took his time in answering, trying to wake up enough to answer him. "… Only if I could change back…"

"Why?"

"I… Uh, I wouldn't want to stay that way forever." He paused, rubbing his eyes. "I have a life to get back to… I was born a human… I supposed I would feel like a part of me is missing… I don't know."

"Do you think Neji's suffering as he is now? I mean… Do you think he's foolish for wanting to change back into a human?"

Nianzu shook his head. "No. It's too life changing. I'm sure he misses his friends."

Even sleep deprived, Nianzu had a good answer to give.

"Even if he's powerful like this?" Naruto went on.

"… There's more to life… than power…"

Another good answer.

"Nianzu?"

He didn't answer him.

"Nianzu?" Naruto looked over and found him slumped over another book, breathing soundly. Naruto threw a book and his head. "Nianzu!"

"Huh?! What?" He snapped up, looking around wide-eyed.

"We have to stay awake. We're close, I can feel it."

Nianzu shook himself awake, rubbing the bump forming on his head. "I understand, Naruto." He looked down at the book, then slammed it shut, turning around. "But we can't keep up this pace. We need some rest. I know you want to change him back, but there's no urgency other than that. We need to take breaks."

"But we're so close! I know it."

The man sitting in front of him sighed. "I know… but it's not going anywhere. We can pick it up tomorrow. Start fresh."

Naruto didn't want to stop. He knew the answer was somewhere here. It could be in the very next book he picked up. Neji had been a dragon for a week now. He was bound to get impatient around this time, especially when a possible cure was right here within their reach. Neji wouldn't want him to give up. Naruto wanted to find it and bring it to him as soon as possible. But looking at Nianzu's tired, heavy eyes, Naruto knew he was at his limit. He wanted to help, too, but he just couldn't do it any more. He couldn't stay awake another hour with him. He wouldn't even last another five minutes.

Sighing, Naruto nodded. "You're right. Get some rest."

Nianzu nodded weakly and stood up slowly, getting the blood flowing back into his legs. He crossed the small room, stepping over books and went to his room, Naruto stepping out after him. Naruto went into the bathroom. Nianzu went into his room and laid down in bed beside his wife.

Naruto crept out of the bathroom and listened outside their bedroom door. It sounded like they were both asleep. Naruto tiptoed back into the small room and picked up another book. The cure must have been in this one. That was his drive: believing that it was in the very next book.

* * *

Will he find the cure or is this a waste of time?

We'll find out soon! :D

Please review! ^-^


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: **

The hot sun rose over the white walls of the sleeping village. Slowly, the citizens began to rise. The day began anew, with everyone going about their day as they have in the past. Mothers and wives made the morning meal for their families. Children were called to the table and asked to clean up when they were finished. Shops began to open. Yawning, the owners flipped the signs on the door to 'open' and went to their usual places, awaiting the impending crowds. Animals were set free and children were allowed to follow and play.

While the slow day began, Nianzu lay beside his wife, still asleep. He rolled over when he heard the children's playful screams from outside, trying to catch a few more moments of rest. His arm swung over his wife's shoulder and she turned over. Feeling her movements, he opened his eyes. She greeted him with a sleepy smile. "Good morning."

He smiled back, closing his eyes again, "Hey. Good Morning." He buried his face in her back, hiding from the sun trying to break in through their closed bedroom window.

"What time did you go to bed?" she asked him.

"Soon after you did." He yawned, rolling onto his back. "Sleep well?"

"Yes. And you?"

He nodded. "What time is it?"

She reached for a small clock on the floor and looked at it. "We slept in. It's 10:30 already." She set the clock back on the floor.

Nianzu stretched out under the covers, breathing deeply. "We did go to bed awfully late last night. It must have been five in the morning or so. I've never stayed up that late before."

Shira lay across his chest, snuggling up to her husband. Since their bedroom window faced the wall surrounding the village, the room was still relatively dark. As time ticked by, the room began to brighten up little by little. Sunlight fell in weary shafts through the paper windows. Their home was frozen in history. Few things had changed over the years, performing little, if any, updates. Unlike other, more common homes, theirs was without electricity, relaying only on candles and whatever else the home had to offer. It was a hassle at times, but Nianzu's family disapproved of any changes to the house the Priestess grew up in.

"Where's Naruto?" Shira asked.

Nianzu shrugged. "I'm not sure. He was right behind me before…"

"Didn't you give him a place to sleep for the night?"

"You know, it was so late, it must have slipped my mind. I really should have." Nianzu started to get up. He had gone to bed without changing his clothes. "He must be sleeping on the floor out there. I'd better go check."

Nianzu opened the bedroom door and scanned the floor for the teenage boy but he was nowhere to be found. Shira put on a robe and wandered into the kitchen, checking to see if he was making himself something to eat. Naruto wasn't there either. She turned back to her husband shrugging in confusion. On a hunch, Nianzu went to the back room and peered in through the open door.

Sure enough, there was Naruto, surrounded by mountains of books. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor, a large book resting in his lap. The candle perched on a book tower beside him had long burnt out.

"Have you been in here all night?" Nianzu asked in a mixture of surprise and amazement.

Naruto lifted his head, dark bags under his heavy blue eyes. "Yeah."

"You didn't get any sleep? At all?"

He shook his head. "No. I thought I was so close to solving it." Naruto pointed to a pile of books behind him. "There's some for you to look at. I can't read those."

Nainzu knelt in front of him, looking into Naruto's dull face, trying to read his placid expression. "Are you alright?"

"I've pulled all-nighters before. No big deal."

Even as he said that, Nianzu knew that Naruto was running only on what little energy he had left. He looked like a zombie. He was overtired. His body would give out at any moment.

"I think you should go to bed," Nianzu told him. "You need your rest."

Naruto refused. "I'm fine. I told you, I'm ok."

"Your eyes need rest and so does your mind. Take a break. I'll start looking after I have something to eat."

Again, Naruto refused. "We're so close. Besides, this is nothing. I've done this plenty of times." In truth, Naruto had lost the ability to comprehend what he was reading hours ago. His eyes had almost completely given out. Everything was blurry to him now; even Nianzu's face. But he wanted to keep going. It was almost like playing a very addictive videogame. He couldn't put it down. Just one more book.

Nianzu started to back off, though he was not convinced. "Alright, if you're sure." He rose and went into the kitchen. "He says he's alright. But the look in his eyes says different. He wasn't looking at me. I don't think his eyes can focus anymore."

"It's not like there's a time limit or anything is there?" asked his wife as she set the table. "Why can't he just leave it be for a while?"

"I'm not sure."

Just then, they heard a thud from the next room. They ran to the door and saw Naruto laying across a pile of books, his body finally giving out. Nianzu and Shira exchanged looks, sharing sympathetic smiles. Nianzu bent down and pulled Naruto up.

"Please open that door for me," he asked his wife and carried Naruto in his arms over to their bedroom. He lay Naruto in their bed, still warm for their body heat and covered Naruto with a blanket.

"Poor kid…" Shira sighed. "He must be worried about his friend. Why else would he try so hard for him? They must be really good friends."

"Speaking of which, how is the dragon doing?"

She had forgotten about him. Making a quick breakfast, she carried a whole steak out to Neji. He was awake, but resting around the side of the house. He looked up when he saw her. The steak was underdone but she felt he wouldn't mind too much. She tossed it to him, afraid to get much closer. Though he was human before and everyone appeared welcome to touch him, she was still unsure. He was a giant fire-breather after all. Neji stretched out his neck and picked up the steak in his teeth, eating it whole. He swallowed it after two chews and lowered his head in thanks. Then he placed his head back on the ground, continuing his rest.

Shira went back inside to fix a meal for her husband. After eating, they decided to continue Naruto's work, thumbing through yet more books. They had made a considerable dent since the night before, but they were nowhere near finished. There was no mention of the curse in any of these books or scrolls. Nianzu was feeling a little disheartened. He hoped there was a clue somewhere in these piles but he had no idea. He had never read through all of these. He had spent the past night and much of this morning looking at more books than he ever had before. He was interested in his family's history but not enough to look through every single one of the books he had in his possession.

After a while, Shira got tired of reading and decided to make a late lunch for them. Nianzu brought one of the books to the table and read there while he waited for the food to cook. Shira served him tea and cookies. There was little left after feeding the dragon. Shira intended to go shopping after eating to get more food. She didn't want to think what a dragon would do if it went unsatisfied. Even she got cranky when she didn't eat.

The door behind them slid open with a bang and Naruto stepped into the light. "Afternoon," Nianzu and Shira greeted him.

He looked around, very confused. "Wasn't I in there a minute ago?" He pointed to the room with all the books.

"You were, but you collapsed so we put you in bed. You need to rest from time to time. Your body will give out."

"I know that!" Naruto crossed the room, stopping to look at the book Nianzu had on the table beside his cup. "Is it in that book? Did you find it?"

"Sorry, but no. At least not yet. I'm still reading this one. But it seems promising." Nianzu held his spot with his middle finger while closing the book so Naruto could see the title. It was written in another language. "It tells all about supposed dragon abilities and their nature. I think it could prove useful."

"So it could be in there, right?" Naruto sounded hopeful.

"It might be but don't get your hopes up." Nianzu looked out the window. "In the meantime, why don't you go check on your friend? He hasn't seen you since last night."

"Oh, right! What time is it anyway?"

"It's roughly three in the afternoon. You slept a few hours."

Naruto wasn't listening. He ran out into the side yard to find Neji laying on the ground basking in the sun. "Hey, Neji."

He looked up. The moment he saw Naruto, his face lit up like the sunlight shining off his pearl. He got to his feet and bounded over to him, growling happily. He crooned and nuzzled Naruto's face. Nudging him with his snout and face.

Taken aback by this, Naruto took a step away in surprise. "Neji?"

He growled with a smile on his scaly face. He sat in front of him, as if expecting Naruto to do something. When he didn't Neji growled again, his face dropping in disappointment.

"That's weird…" Neji had never done that before. Quickly putting it out of his mind, Naruto smiled. "I guess you're just happy to see me, huh?"

Neji growled in agreement and gave a shake of his head, ruffling his mane.

"I guess you're grateful to me for sticking with you so long and for taking you all the way here, huh?" Naruto assumed that Neji was behaving in such a friendly, happy way because he knew he would be cured soon and could return home. After all, ever since the transformation, Neji had to resort to lots of gestures and signing to get his point across and let Naruto in on what he was thinking or feeling. This must have been Neji showing him gratitude.

Shira came out with a large pot under her arm and a tray balanced on her hand. Naruto came rushing over to help. Naruto wasn't sure what to do for a woman who was expecting a baby in a few months, but he knew she couldn't handle so much all by herself. Naruto took the pot from her which easily weighed half of what he did. It was full of undercooked meat and scraps. The tray held a mixture of vegetables, bananas and leftover noodles.

"Is this all for Neji?"

"Yes. It's most of what we had left in the kitchen. I'm going out shopping in a moment so I wanted to make sure he was fed."

"Thanks." Naruto carried the pot over to Neji and set it down at his feet. "There you go, Neji! Eat up!"

Neji sniffed the pot and tried to stick his muzzle inside, but it wouldn't fit. He growled in frustration.

"Hold on a second." Naruto reached in and pulled out a bloody piece of meat. He tossed it into the air and watched Neji catch it in his jaws, gobbling it up. He tossed him another piece of meat, making a game out of it. In the meantime, Shira had left to buy more food. It certainly wasn't easy keeping up with a dragon's appetite.

Once the food was eaten, Neji sat back down, but he continued to watch Naruto. Suspecting that Neji wanted news on when he would receive the cure, Naruto sighed, sitting on the porch. He didn't want to disappoint him. After a while, Naruto stood up and went back into the house. Neji tried to follow, but was stuck at the first step once again. Knowing he couldn't enter the home, he stood outside and watched through the open window.

Naruto sat down with Nianzu and tugged on his sleeve. "We have to be getting close."

Nodding his head, Nianzu went back into the back room and started to look through the scrolls on the shelves. Naruto sat down in the middle of the floor and picked up the first book he found in the nearest pile and began to read.

An hour passed. Then two. Nothing useful came from the books now laying in a large pile in the corner. Naruto wanted to quit and stop reading but he pushed on, bound and determined.

Nianzu stopped reading to give his eyes a rest. While he rested, he decided to ask Naruto something that he had been wondering for some time. "May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why are you so desperate to find that cure?"

"That's a dumb question," Naruto said without thinking. "It's because I promised him I would. He can't stay like this forever, right?"

"I know that, but… take last night for example. You stayed awake all night long and wouldn't rest. It's not like there's a time limit on this curse he's under. And it's not like the answer's going to get up and leave. You just seem so desperate. You don't want to stop until you have it in your hands."

Naruto kept his eyes on the book in front of him but had stopped reading. Sighing, he told Nianzu one of his many reasons. "He's been like this for a week now. I'm pretty sure he wants to change back as soon as possible. He didn't want this in the first place."

"That may be true. You don't want to keep your friend waiting… But I sense there's another reason."

Naruto gripped the books tightly and turned away from its pages to look at the wall. His eyes found the decorative scroll hanging on the wall of the Priestess and dragon circling her body. Eternally bound, devoted partners. Friends. Naruto shut his eyes and remembered their first night in the cave by the fire. Neji had been crying. At least it looked that way to him. But there was no mistaking that sadness on his face or the hopeless look in his eyes.

"It's because we can't go home," he confessed. "Not until he's back to normal."

Nianzu sounded shocked to hear this. "You're not welcome back into your village because of this curse?"

Naruto shook his head. "We were chased out. Neji was run out of the village. No matter how much I tried to explain, they just wouldn't listen. They were going to kill him. We ran away…" He looked down at the book but his eyes weren't focused on the words written on the page. His eyes were looking at how frightened and desperate Neji was, fighting back against the ropes and chains as his fellow ninja tried to restrain him and deliver the finishing blow.

Their home… The people they knew and could call family…

Naruto shut his eyes tightly, forcing the images to retreat back into his memory. "They thought he was a threat and attacked him. He can't go home… We can't go home."

"… I'm so sorry…" Nianzu's voice was quiet, as if trying to coax a frightened animal out of hiding. "I had no idea… I'm sorry to hear that. Now I understand. You want to fix all this so that the two of you can return home as soon as possible. I can sympathize with that."

"But it's more than that," Naruto said, turning around. "It's all my fault. I did this to him. It's all because of me." Naruto told him everything. He told him about the first village where the Dragon Pearl rested and their mission and the ghost stories that frightened him into convincing Neji to enter the shrine. He told him about what he had witnessed of Neji's transformation and the battle in the street and their dramatic escape. He told him about their first night in a cave and what the village headman told them and how they found their way to this village seeking help.

Nianzu listened until Naruto was finished. He said nothing, only nodding his head as everything became clearer to him.

"But it's more than that!" Naruto went on after going over his itinerary. "It's not just a promise I made to him. He's also my friend! I can't let him suffer like this. He needs help. He wants to change back. I'm the only one who can help him do that."

"That may be why he took you with him. I think he was not only protecting you from the others in all that confusion, but you were also the only one who knew his situation. He trusts you. You two can't do this alone. That's what I believe. You're partners in all of this. It does go deeper than a promise."

Throughout their journey, they had helped each other countless times in different ways. Neji helped keep Naruto warm at night and Naruto helped gather food for him and even helped him eat. Neji allowed Naruto to ride on his back and in return, Naruto became Neji's voice, translating what the dragon was trying to say. They protected each other and took care of each other. Naruto helped pull Neji out of the mud and into the barn and Neji came to Naruto's aid in the battle against the Seiha brothers. They helped each other.

But that wasn't what Naruto was referring to. "I know it's friendship and all… I know it's about not giving up and helping each other and being there for each other and everything… but…"

"But what?" Nianzu knew he had interrupted Naruto's thought, but he assumed he already knew the answer.

"It's… it's stupid, and it's only a little bit of what's going on, but…" Naruto took in a breath. "Even though it probably doesn't matter anymore, Neji used to think you couldn't change fate. That once something's one way, you can't change that."

"A fatalist?"

"Yeah, that. You see, during the Chunin exams, we had to fight against each other. He told me about his family's curse or whatever it was and how he can't change his fate. He's from the Hyuga clan and they have two branches. The main branch is most powerful and noble and decide everything, and then there's the second branch that serves the first branch and they can kill him anytime they want if he does something they don't like or steps out of line. He's second branch. So he was going on and on about how fate can't be changed and that if you're no good at something then you'll never be good at it."

Naruto remembered Neji's words to this day. 'Once a failure, always a failure. You can't change that.' Those were his words.

"I beat him in the exams. And that's when I told him that the jutsu I used to take him down with was my worst technique. I failed the Shadow Clone Jutsu every single time. I always failed because I couldn't do it no matter what I did. Now it's my best and I can do more with it than anyone else I know. People always know I'm going to use it, but that's fine. I'm proud of it and I know I can do a lot with it." Naruto gave a soft chuckle. "You should have seen the look on his face when I told him that. I proved to him that people can get better and that we can change. We just have to choose it and not give up."

Even though Nianzu had no idea what these exams were Naruto was referring to, he understood where he was coming from. "So he's given up on an unchangeable fate since your duel. But given his situation, you're afraid that he'll fall right back into it."

"Actually, I was just going to prove him wrong again since he seemed so upset by it. I don't want him to worry… and I don't want him to think that it's his fate to be like this. I want to show him that there's always a way out, even in this situation."

Nianzu smiled at him. It was a different kind of smile Naruto hadn't seen before.

"What's with the smile? Did I say something funny?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." He continued to smile. "It's just your sincerity speaks volumes to me. I understand why you're so determined and so driven to not give up until you have it in your hands. And I also understand things from my past a little better."

That last statement confused him. Naruto didn't understand what Nianzu meant by understanding his past a little better. "What's that mean? What about your past?"

He pulled another book down and tossed it to Naruto. "I'll tell you what. We find the cure you're looking for, then I'll let you know."

Naruto didn't complain. There was just one more reason to keep looking now.

* * *

Shira returned home an hour or so later with enough food to feed half a dozen Narutos. Most of it was meat which was undoubtedly Neji's share. Naruto and Nianzu helped her carry everything into the small house. She wanted to start cooking at once so everything would be ready in time for dinner.

Wanting to stretch his legs, Naruto went outside to visit Neji. The dragon was in the same place he left him. Neji seemed happy to see him but didn't react the way he had before. He only nodded his head with a small growl, which Naruto was used to.

Then something odd happened. A brightly colored butterfly landed on a hedge flapping its wings slowly, gaining the dragon's attention. Neji moved his head closer, eyeing it curiously. The butterfly flutter into the air and Neji followed its movements with his eyes. As it got further away Neji chased after it. Now he was happily chasing the butterfly around the yard. He was playing.

Naruto stared at him in confusion. "Maybe… he's just really bored or something?" He had no idea what to think. This wasn't normal behavior for the Hyuga boy he had formed a friendship with over the years. Granted, he didn't know too much about him, but he knew enough to know that this wasn't normal behavior for him. He was acting strangely.

"Something wrong?" Nianzu stood behind Naruto on the porch.

Naruto turned his head to look at him while continuing to face Neji. "It's Neji. He's acting different."

"How so?"

Naruto pointed at the dragon chasing the butterfly over the wall. "I've never seen him do that before. He's playing with a butterfly."

"He's never played before?"

It took a bit of coaxing, if not a little trickery, but playing wasn't a normal activity for someone like Neji. Apparently it was frowned upon in his clan. If he ever did play, he claimed it was a form of training so no one would think less of him. "It's not that he's never played games before but… I've just never seen him chase a butterfly before. That's all. Also he's being more affectionate than usual. He has some personal space issues."

Nianzu looked from Naruto to the dragon, frowning.

"What's the matter?" Naruto knew something was wrong. He could feel it.

Nianzu bent over the railing to speak to Naruto. He showed him the book he had been reading at the table that morning. "I believe this books talks about it in some detail."

"I told you, I can't read Chinese!"

"Then I'll translate the important parts." Nianzu opened up to one of the pages, taking a quick glance before closing it. "It talks about the supposed nature of a dragon. I think part of the book's information was based upon observation when watching the Priestess's dragons and how they behaved around her."

"Just give me the gist of it. What's it say about chasing butterflies?"

"Nothing. However it does say something you may find troubling…" Nianzu took in a breath. "It suggests that since your friend wasn't born a dragon, his instincts will take a little time to kick in. His dragon nature will come to him over time."

"And?" Naruto wasn't getting his point.

"Basically, the longer Neji's a dragon, the more he'll become one."

Naruto looked back at the dragon sniffing the wall where the butterfly had gone over. He sat on the ground with a growl, expecting it to come back so he could chase it again. Naruto looked back at Nianzu. "So… that's not a bad thing, right? I mean, it's not bad, bad or anything."

"No, not necessarily. It's just that his instincts will take over from time to time. Much like now."

Neji lost interest in the butterfly and wandered around the yard, sniffing in various areas around the house.

Naruto didn't think it was going to be a problem having Neji act like this from time to time. However, he was curious about something. "What else did that book say? Anything I should know about?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. Like why he nuzzled me the way he did. He didn't do it for anyone else but me. Does the books say anything on that?"

Nianzu gave it some thought. "Well, it does mention that dragons will form a bond with someone they're close to."

"Is that a problem or..?"

He shrugged. "The books doesn't say. It just mentions that when a dragon forms a bond with a person, they became very protective and loyal to them. Much like the Priestess and her dragons and they did just fine. A bond can be seen as nothing more than a very close friendship which you two already have. He's just going to be protective of you and loyal. So basically, he'll do whatever you say; like a dog, I suppose."

"Do you know why they form bonds with people? Like how it happens?"

"The book just mentions that they form bonds with people they feel that they can trust and people they like. They spend a lot of time with them and the person helps take care of them. The book even says that dragons will form a bond with someone who feeds them."

It took almost a full minute before Naruto realized something. At the start of Neji's transformation, he complained that he was having trouble eating so Naruto offered to help him by hand feeding him. Was that why Neji grabbed him out of the crowd of people and took him out of the village with him? They bonded at that moment and Neji did it without thinking? Maybe it had nothing to do with understanding the situation and needing him to translate for him. Maybe it only happened because they were bonded.

"After all," Nianzu went on. "It's said that dragons are very proud creatures as well as powerful. They normally don't aid humans. But if a human were to feed them, then they will form a bond with each other. Normally it's with the first person who feeds them. That earns their trust and the friendship can grow from there."

Naruto kept his eyes on the ground. He had been feeding Neji through most of the trip. Was that the only reason why Neji helped him? Was Neji only being friendly to him because of a bond over food and in reality he still hated Naruto's guts? Naruto shook his head. No, that couldn't be. Neji was Naruto's friend after all. They helped each other in the past and Neji even claimed to be his friend. This transformation had nothing to do with it.

Neji lifted his head, taking notice of the blond boy standing by the porch. He gave a growl to get his attention. When Naruto looked up, Neji stared into his eyes. He sensed that something was troubling Naruto but he wasn't sure what. He hadn't been listening to anything they were talking about. With his eyes, Neji tried to ask Naruto what was wrong. It earned him a weak grin from the boy. Neji came closer, trying to understand what was bothering Naruto so much. Naruto reached out and pat his snout. Naruto seemed to be cheered somewhat but still appeared worried about something.

"Don't worry, Neji," he told him. "Everything's going to be alright."

* * *

Dragon boy.

An even better team than Kiba and Akamaru, right? No? Alright. Either way you get a ride :D

Please review ^-^


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16:**

Naruto put the earlier conversation out of his mind and continued through the books in the back room until dinner was called. Neji was given his portion out in the yard while everyone else sat around the table. Even though they hadn't found anything relating to a cure, that did nothing to effect Naruto's appetite. He helped himself to the fried noodles and rice, eating through his seconds and thirds.

While eating, Nianzu had a book open and was reading it at the table. Naruto watched him while he ate. Then Nianzu looked up catching Naruto's gaze. "You know… You're actually the first ninja I've ever seen."

"R- really?"

He nodded. "We don't get a lot of ninja out this way. If they ever were, I don't know about it or remember. This village is out in the middle of nowhere."

"So no one's ever called for a ninja's help or anything like that?"

"Not that I know of. The walls you see surrounding us aren't built for protection. It's only to keep wild animals out. We don't really have anything of value here. We have no real exports, we're not near the ocean and we don't trade with other lands. We're not a tourist area. We're in the middle of nowhere. If ninja ever travel out this far, they pass right by us."

Naruto looked out the window thoughtfully. "I noticed that a lot of people seem pretty indifferent. No one seemed to care that I was a ninja."

"That's because we are pretty indifferent. Ninjas haven't helped us or hurt us. We have no feeling one way or the other."

Naruto recalled the village they had passed through a few days ago. "There was this one village we went through that seemed to hate ninja or something. Do you know anything about that?"

Nianzu shook his head. "No. My information relates only to my family and any stories thought to be related to the Priestess and old legends. Can't help you there. It's their past, I'm sure. Maybe some ninja hurt them in the past and now they harbor a hatred for them."

He was hoping to hear a great story that could be linked to another legend he may have passed along the way. A little disappointed, Naruto went back to his meal, pushing the peas around with his chopsticks.

"You know, it was thought that the Priestess may have actually been a ninja."

Now he had his attention. "Really?!" Naruto jumped up with a big wide smile.

"Some people thought so. Like my father and my uncle. They may have seen ninja during their time and witnessed their power. Everyone called her a priestess because of her abilities and the fact that she had dragons following her everywhere she went. But they may have been just, what you call, jutsu. Even her dragons may have been summoned to her. Ninja can do that, can't they?"

"Y- yeah, but I don't know anyone who could summon dragons. That's awesome!"

"I think she may have been given the title of 'priestess' because of her powers only because ninja weren't around at that time. She may have been one of the first ninja."

"Like ever? The first ninja in the whole world? Really?"

"It's possible. She did live hundreds of years ago. Of course, I wouldn't know for sure."

Naruto grinned brightly. This was amazing. She may have been a ninja but no one knew what to call her at that time so she was called a priestess instead. It was fascinating.

"You know," Nianzu said with a grin. "She did have strange abilities. She could have been a ninja. You never know. In fact, I'm reminded of a story my father told me years ago about her friend the painter."

"You mean the one that made that painting in that back room? What was his name?

"We don't know. We never learned his name. We just refer to him as the painter. He traveled with her when she was setting up for the new village."

"Yeah, yeah?" Naruto knew something interesting was coming. Another legend.

"One day, they were passing through a town that was filled with life. The land was rich and green, the plants flourished and the animals grew strong and fat. However, greedy merchants lived there as well and took advantage of the land and anyone who passed by. The painter had always lived in his home village and was used to that land. That was where he found great ink stones."

"Ink stones?"

"That's how he made the ink he uses in his artwork," Nianzu explained. "He found stones at the mountain and used them to make ink. Now that he no longer lived in the shadow of the mountain, he had to find new stones to make ink with. As he was passing through this village, a merchant stopped him and offered to sell him some stones. The painter was reluctant but willing to look. The stones weren't good and were too expensive so the painter refused to pay. The merchant opened another box and asked him to take a look at these ones. To make sure they were good ink stones, the painter had to pick up the stones and feel them with his hands. As he did, his hands began to change color. A rash spread from the tips of his fingers up his arms. These stones were poison."

Naruto leaned closer to the table on the edge of his seat. This was getting good.

"The merchant knew this. It was all part of his scam. He offered the painter the antidote but for a price. He was certain that the painter would pay anything to safe his life. However, the painter didn't have much to offer. The only thing of value he owned on his person were his clothes, a silver bracelet, the bag on his back and the coins in his pocket. Sensing something was amiss, the Priestess and her dragons came rushing to his aid. The Priestess tried to bargain with the merchant but he refused to save the painter's life. He valued money more than anything else. He even asked for one of her dragons as a down payment. The dragon he was eying suddenly set his stand on fire and burned the land, the lush green now withered to yellow and brown. Fearing he would be next, the merchant gave the painter the antidote and their lives were spared."

"That's good," Naruto smiled. The painter lived.

"Yes, however as they were leaving the merchant ripped the bag from the painter's back, taking it as payment. The painter's bag was one of a kind. It was given to him by the Priestess as a gift. It was woven together with the hair from her dragon's mane. It wouldn't weather easily. It's strong material so it could hold up for decades. The Dragon Priestess was most displeased by this man's actions. She placed a curse upon the land."

"What kind of curse?" Naruto asked.

"According to what I know, the land would become harsh and fruitless. It would be difficult to grow anything there. Everywhere the dragon's fire torched would be this way. She told the merchant that it was the dragon's fire that did this and only a dragon's fire can break the curse and make the land fruitful again. Because of his actions, everyone in the town would suffer. The people of this land needed to learn kindness. They had been blessed too long showing no appreciation and only greed."

That was a good story. Then Naruto wondered... "He had a silver bracelet? Why didn't he pay the guy with that?"

"Because it was a gift from the Dragon Priestess." Nianzu rolled up his sleeve showing his golden dragon bracelet to Naruto for the second time. "She had given a silver bracelet to all of her closest friends. To the painter, the symbol of their friendship and her blessing was too steep a price. He would not give up such a thing. It was too valuable. Maybe not in money, but..."

Naruto understood. Its value had nothing to do with money. "So they all got silver friendship bracelets from her." Naruto grinned, nodding. "That's nice."

After dinner, Naruto wanted to go back and try looking again. They had gone through half of the books and scrolls in the room. He knew they were getting close. Nianzu stopped him before he could enter the room. "Why don't you take a break tonight? You've done plenty today. You need your rest."

"No, I can handle it. We're so close."

"Maybe so, but if you read when you're overtired, you could easily overlook something. How about we do shifts?"

Naruto looked into the room at the piles of books which had been cut in half from their first day.

"You rest first and I'll go through everything. Then when you've rested, I'll rest and you can take over. How about that?"

That could work. "Ok." Naruto looked from one end of the house to the other. "But first, do you have a shower I can use?" Aside from the heavy rain, Naruto hadn't rinsed himself off all this week. He was starting to notice his stench of mud and dirt and sweat.

Nianzu showed him to the room at the end of the house. There was one round tub, but something seemed different about this room. There was no faucet or hose. "Um… how do you get water in here?"

He wished he hadn't asked when Nianzu took him to the back of the house and showed him the pump which needed to be worked in order to fill the tub.

"You mean I have to pump my own bathwater?" Naruto exclaimed.

"This is how we've always gotten our water. In the old days, there wasn't the kind of indoor plumbing we have now. Everything had to be done this way. It's hooked up to this room so all you have to do is pump the water until it fills the tub. Then you have to heat it."

"Heat it?" Naruto didn't like the sound of that.

"It's not a hot spring so the water you pump out will be cold." Nianzu showed Naruto the trap door on the side of the house. He opened it up revealing the charred pieces of wood and ash inside. "Just gather up some firewood and light it up and you'll be fine."

Naruto wasn't looking forward to all this work. It was a shame this family didn't do any upgrades to the house, wanting to preserve history. He understood that and respected their wishes. But an updated bathroom Naruto could really get behind.

"I could help you with the wood if you like."

As usual, Nianzu was nothing but helpful. Ever since the first moment they met, Nianzu was kind and generous to Naruto, a complete stranger to him. Naruto knew he was taking advantage of his hospitality so he was being respectful in exchange. This man and his wife took great care of him and went out of their way to help him. The least he could do was not cause them any more problems or give them added work to do.

"That's fine. I can pump the water myself."

"And the wood?"

An idea popped into his head. Maybe he didn't have to do it all by himself. "Why didn't I think of this before?"

"Think of what?"

"My Shadow Clones… I can use them to help me out." Naruto saw the puzzled look on Nianzu's face and realized something else. "Oh, yeah! You haven't seen a ninja in action before, have you? Stand back and check this out!"

Nianzu took a few steps back, watching Naruto closely.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Nianzu jumped back in surprise as five Naruto clones popped up out of nowhere.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Naruto grinned, puffing out his chest.

Nianzu recovered from his shock and looked at each clone, his smile widening with every one he looked upon. "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like this." This was the best reaction Naruto had ever gotten from one of his Shadow Clone techniques. He was smiling just as wide as Nianzu. In fact, all his clones were. "Honey, get out here! You must see this!" Nianzu called to his wife.

Deciding to show off, Naruto performed several tricks for them with his clones as they chopped the wood and loaded it into the secret space under the house. Two clones worked the pump while the others showed off their skill with the chopped wood. They juggled with it and kicked it through the small door. Their tricks became more dangerous with the more attention they received. The clones stopped showing off when one of the pieces of wood nearly broke a window. The clones disappeared and Naruto took a bow while the owners of the house clapped and cheered.

"That was wonderful!"

"Marvelous!"

"Thanks you, thank you!" Naruto took a second bow. He had never gotten this kind of attention for his jutsu before. He had been praised for a good job in the past, but the kind of attention he received from them was much different. To them, this must have appeared like magic to their ignorant eyes.

Showing off so much had resulted in him doing something he had not intended. He had chopped all of the wood they had, packing half of it into the small space under the house. The rest of the chopped wood lay in a pile by the dull ax. This turned out to be a positive thing as Nianzu now had less work to do for later.

Hearing the cheers, Neji appeared behind the humans and watched. Naruto gave him a wave then stepped aside so Shira could take a peek under the house.

"You've packed plenty of wood into here," she told him. "Now we just have to light it and it will heat up the water. Let me see if I can find a match…"

Neji's head appeared beside her and he puffed out a fireball, igniting the wood.

Shira jumped back, startled. "Oh. Thank you, dear."

Neji snorted and moved aside.

The water was nice and hot, the steam filling the sealed bathroom, clouding Naruto's view. He walked to the tub and slid slowly into the hot water. At once, his muscles relaxed. Naruto lay his head on the edge of the tub, looking at the fog surrounding him, making his face feel moist. He hadn't had a good soak in a long time. Naruto sank into the water, submerging himself completely. He rose out of the water for air a few seconds later.

Soaking in the hot water completely alone gave Naruto time to think.

The past conversations were coming back to him. Was it really possible that Neji was only helping him out and being friendly because of a bond? If Naruto hadn't fed him when he did, would any of this have happened? Would they be where they were now? Was Neji only being kind to him because of that bond? Did Neji really not care about him? No way! Naruto knew that wasn't true so why was he still thinking about it? He knew Neji was his friend; there was no doubting that. He shouldn't be dwelling on things he knew couldn't be true.

Then he started to wonder about something else. This dragon instinct possibility popped back into his mind. Neji was behaving strangely. Naruto just thought it was because Neji was trying to get his point across the only way he could now. Since he could no longer talk, he had to resort to body language and other means of expressing himself. But what if Naruto assumed wrong? What about chasing that butterfly around? He was playing. Neji didn't normally do that. Was that his dragon instincts coming out?

Come to think of it, how long had this been going on? Naruto knew he wasn't always very observant. Neji could have been showing signs earlier and he wouldn't have known about it. What if Neji had been acting like this the whole time and Naruto didn't notice it? Was that possible? Naruto couldn't tell. The lines were blurred as to what was Neji and where the dragon instincts began. Which was real? The dragon following him around may not have been Neji at all.

"No way! That can't be it!" Naruto shook his head from side to side spraying water everywhere. "I know that's Neji! For real! It has to be. I know him anywhere. All those times he hit me in the head and that attitude of his and all that. It's definitely him. He's just…"

Free.

Naruto's eyes widened. That must have been it. Neji was away from the village, away from his family and friends and his responsibilities. No more stress, no one ordering him around and telling him to do something. No dangerous missions to go on, no one yelling at him. Neji may not have ever had a real vacation before. Now that Neji was away from all that, he could finally express himself. He could do whatever he wanted. He could be free. Free to do as he pleased.

The only thing not stressing him out was knowing that Naruto was there for him. He had one friend to share in all this. He had one person he could rely on.

Neji wasn't completely free, however. He was enjoying having time to himself to do what he wanted and be away from the stressful life of a ninja. But he wanted to enjoy it in a human body. There were several things holding him back.

This may have been more complicated than Naruto thought. Naruto sank back into the water, blowing bubbles out of his nose and mouth, exhaling his frustrations.

After his bath, Nianzu showed him to where he would be sleeping. He opened the door to his bedroom.

"Isn't this where you and your wife sleep?"

Nianzu nodded. "We only have one room in this house. When I was little, I used to sleep with my parents. Since we'll be up, you can have the bed. We'll alternate."

Naruto slowly walked inside. "Are you sure it's alright?"

He nodded. "Have a good rest. We'll be out here if you need anything." Nianzu closed the door, letting Naruto get situated.

Naruto looked around at the small bedroom. The bed in the middle of the floor took up most of the space. It was a big bed, as it turned out. Large enough for two people to lay comfortably. Naruto lay down in the middle of the bed. It was surprisingly soft. There were plenty of pillows and a sea of warm multicolored blankets. Naruto sprawled out, making himself at home.

It had been a long time since he slept in a bed. While traveling, he slept on Neji's scaly body. It wasn't the most comfortable in the world, but he managed to sleep well. Neji kept him warm. Now that he was in a real bed, he felt like he had to get used to it all over again. It was comfortable, but it was missing something. He had grown so used to Neji's body, sleeping in a bed felt strange. Especially knowing that Neji was sleeping outside on the cold hard ground. Alone.

Naruto looked up at the ceiling. He could hear Neji sleeping close by outside the window. As usual, Neji wasn't far behind.

He looked at the walls of the building and the small pieces of furniture. It made him wonder how they were going to fit a baby in such a small house. There was only one bedroom. But if Nianzu's family managed to do it all these years, then there must have been a way. He felt a little sorry for them, having so little space. Even Nianzu's mother abandoned the family because they didn't have a lot. She wanted more space and more money. She didn't want to be here. It was a hard life with few benefits.

Yet Nianzu and his wife seemed so happy. They didn't care about riches or having more. They were happy just being together, sharing the love they had for each other. Nianzu was a little talkative, but that may have been because he had never come across someone so willing to hear all about his family's history and all the stories they had passed down over the years.

"Well, when his kid's born he can talk his ear off."

Naruto was grateful to this nice family he happened upon. Nianzu may have been talkative, but he was very nice. He was good to him, a perfect stranger. Maybe Nianzu was lonely. Or maybe he was just that kind of person. He certainly seemed trustworthy. He went out of his way to help Naruto and Neji.

"I feel like I owe them…" Naruto felt indebted to them. He rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. He couldn't find rest. He opened his eyes again, thinking about how hard Nianzu and his wife were working. He thought about Neji sleeping alone in the freezing night air, completely exposed.

He thought about home. All their friends. Once again, Naruto thought about how much easier he had it than Neji. He could go home at any time. Neji could not. Naruto didn't have to walk everywhere and rode the dragon most of the time. Neji had to. Naruto ate a lot, but he didn't need that much food. Neji was larger than he was. He may have had to go hungry longer than Naruto did. Naruto could go inside and sleep in a bed. Neji could not. Naruto could lay on his back and Neji could not. Naruto could talk and Neji couldn't. Neji had given up more than Naruto. So much more was taken from him than Naruto could fathom.

They had to go home. They had to change him back. How much longer would Neji have to suffer?

Naruto clasped his hands together on top of the pillow. He wished for a miracle. The chances of them finding the cure among those books was slim to none. Even Nianzu had his doubts. But it was all they had left. Just that hope of there being a way out of this. A way to return home and to their normal lives.

"Please let us find a cure," Naruto prayed. "Please help Neji change back. Please let us go home."

* * *

A thin blue hue appeared where earth met sky. The sun was slowly beginning to rise. Though most of the sky was still dark, the village homes were clearly visible. The birds hadn't risen yet, but that was bound to change at any moment. Most of the residents were still asleep in their beds. Naruto himself lay asleep in his borrowed bed, frozen while the rest of the world moved on, stopping for no one.

At the first bird's song, the wooden sliding door opened and the master of the house knelt by Naruto's side, clutching something in his hands. "Naruto! Naruto, wake up!" He nudged him excitedly.

Naruto turned away with a sleepy moan. Nianzu was persistent. He wouldn't let Naruto go back to sleep. Laying on his stomach, Naruto slowly lifted his head, looking up at Nianzu with a sleepy pout. "What? What is it? What's going on?"

Nianzu proudly held up the object in his hand. It was a single piece of paper. In the dim light, Naruto could see that it was quite old. Edges were torn slightly and the paper had yellowed, slowing its age. "I found it! I found it, Naruto! I think this is it!"

It took a few moments to register to Naruto's foggy brain. When it finally hit him, he threw off the blankets and sat up straight. "You did?! Really?!"

"Yup!" Nianzu showed Naruto the piece of paper. "This has to be it. I just have a strong feeling."

They went straight into the next room and sat at the table where the light was best. Unlike most of the writings they had come across, this one was written in a language Naruto could understand. Even so, it did not appear to make much sense.

"Are you sure this is it?" Naruto asked, looking away from the piece of paper. "It looks kind of weird to me."

"It's the only thing I could find that seemed related to your situation. I'm sure this is it."

Naruto turned the paper from side to side as if it would give a clearer indication of what it meant. "It makes so little sense. Is this a poem or something?"

"Well, it is written in her hand." Nianzu looked down at the paper. "Even I'm having trouble figuring it out."

The words on the page were clearly visible and undistorted. The way it was worded was the problem, not reading it as it appeared.

Twisted elegance and beauty the dragons be,

Riches and power be all that you see.

To take and keep, treasures they hold,

Slaughter and snatch be thee so bold.

Greed and ignorance, no understanding sought,

Bound in form, your treasures un-bought.

Understand and you shall see,

In these eyes your spirit flies free.

"I think that part's relating to the curse that was placed on your friend," Nianzu said. "That's what caught my attention in the first place."

"Yeah, but what does it mean?" Naruto couldn't grasp it. He never did get poetry, which he assumed this was.

"I believe it's the priestess speaking about her dragons. She's saying how people just look at them for their riches and power and never see beyond that. I think she's explaining why she did what she did by placing a curse on that Dragon's Pearl. She wanted people to see life through a dragon's eyes. As a dragon, the pearl would become useless to them. It would be impossible to sell now. And as a dragon, they would lose everything they once had. Their ability to speak so they could never reason with people and no one would know who they really were. They can't explain. So if they come across other greedy people, they would be hunted themselves."

"I get it. So it's to see through their eyes and live as a dragon. She was trying to teach them a lesson and protect her dragons at the same time." She wanted to show them how life was as a dragon with people constantly hunting them and trying to use them. Now being hunted themselves and seeing how difficult life was as a dragon, maybe they would have a little more sympathy towards them.

Frolic and play, these dragon scales,

Free from thy chains, quiet thy wails.

Return to me this pleasant night,

Dragon's Pearl glistening in my sight.

Meet together, thy precious stone,

Touch and held, gratitude shown.

Beyond that which you see,

Lies in heart all we shall be.

Together bound, body and soul,

Now at last we are whole.

"Ok, so what about that part?" Naruto asked. "What does that mean?"

Nianzu shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure myself. But I think it's trying to explain how to be rid of the curse."

"So this is step by step instructions or something?" he asked.

"I have no idea. Perhaps…" Nianzu looked at the piece of paper very closely. "Usually something this awkwardly worded has something hidden within. In fact, this may not be a poem at all, but an incantation."

"So this is a magic spell?" Naruto felt so excited. Real live magic. This world was more vast than he realized. Raised in a ninja village, he thought he understood it all. As it turned out, there was more than meets the eye. Not everyone in the world was a ninja, so it was possible that not everyone out there was a normal human being either. If the summoned animals lived somewhere else, far away, who was to say that magic didn't also exist? Maybe there were sorcerers out there somewhere.

"It may be a spell alright. But I have no idea."

Naruto picked up the piece of paper and looked it over again. "So maybe all we have to do is read this to Neji." Naruto turned excitedly to Nianzu with a huge grin. He really felt that they had discovered a real cure. "We'll recite this like a incantation kind of thing. Maybe then he'll change back to normal."

"I suppose that could-"

Naruto was already out the door before Nianzu could finish. He jumped down the stairs, clearing them in one leap, slid on the dirt and ran to the side of the house where Neji lay. "Neji!" he called in a loud voice.

Neji jolted upright when he heard his voice. He saw Naruto coming towards him waving a piece of paper in his hands. Though everything was cast in shadow by the rising sun, Neji could see Naruto as clearly as he could at high noon. It must have been his dragon eyes. Naruto was waving the paper around so much Neji couldn't read what was written on it.

"I think we found a way to fix this curse. Now hold still." Naruto held the paper in both hands and read it out loud to him. "Twisted elegance and beauty the dragons be, Riches and power be all that you see. To take and keep, treasures they hold, Slaughter and snatch be thee so bold. Greed and ignorance, no understanding sought, Bound in form, your treasures un-bought. Understand and you shall see, in these eyes your spirit flies free. Frolic and play, these dragon scales, Free from thy chains, quiet thy wails. Return to me this pleasant night, Dragon's Pearl glistening in my sight. Meet together, thy precious stone, Touch and held, gratitude shown. Beyond that which you see, lies in heart all we shall be. Together bound, body and soul, now at last we are whole."

When he was finished, he looked at Neji expecting to see a human standing in front of him. Instead, all he saw was the same dragon he had been seeing this past week.

"What the hell?" Naruto looked from the paper back to Neji. "I don't get it. Why didn't it work? I did read it kind of fast. Maybe I should try reading it slower. Hang on a sec…"

Naruto read it again, slower this time. Nothing happened.

"Uh… Well, it is a spell. Maybe I need to read it more dramatically or something. More feeling."

He read it out loud again and still nothing changed. Naruto tried four more times, trying something different every time. He waved his hands, he put his hand on Neji's pearl, he tried reading it backwards, and he even tried to read it in an awful Chinese accent. Nothing happened. The only thing that changed was Neji's expression. He was starting to look annoyed.

"Hey, I'm trying my best here!" Naruto looked back at the paper with a scowl. "Why isn't this working? What am I doing wrong?"

By this time, the sun had risen and the birds were chirping their songs as the residents began to emerge from their homes to start the day. Nianzu came out of the house and stood behind Naruto, looking at the unchanging dragon.

"It's not working, is it?"

"No. I don't get it." On a hunch, Naruto handed Nianzu the paper. "You said the priestess was Chinese, right? Maybe you have to read it in her language. Here, read this to him in Chinese."

Nianzu took the paper and stood in front of Neji, reading it in his family's language. Still nothing changed. Neji was still a dragon. Sighing, Nianzu handed the paper back to Naruto. "Sorry. I tried my best."

Naruto looked at the useless piece of paper, trying to resist the urge to tear it up. "Are you sure this is the right thing? What if this isn't the cure at all?"

"I'm certain it is. We just have to look more deeply into this. Even I didn't think it would be that easy."

Naruto looked at the paper again. "Maybe it's written in code or something. Like a riddle, maybe?"

"Maybe," Nianzu nodded. "That is very possible. Now we just have to solve it if that's what it is."

* * *

Shira cooked them all breakfast while the two men tried to put their heads together to solve this puzzle. As it turned out Nianzu was terrible when it came to puzzles and Naruto wasn't much better. When it came to riddles, Naruto always thought of the obvious answer which usually wasn't the one they were looking for. When Shira came back in from feeding Neji, she found the two of them sprawled out on the floor in defeat.

"So how is it going?" she asked.

"We can't figure it out…" Nianzu whined. "Now my head hurts."

"Mine, too!" Naruto cried.

They couldn't give up just because it was difficult, but what else could they do? They had no answers and neither one of them were very good at riddles.

Shira came over with some additional bad news. "We may have a problem with the dragon outside."

Naruto sat up quickly. "Is Neji ok?"

"Yes, yes, he's fine. But the rest of the village isn't so much. I think they're onto his presence."

"So?" Naruto asked.

"So they may see him as a threat and try to hurt him. I think it's best if we get him out of here as soon as possible."

Naruto sat up and hurried to the door. Neji was laying beside the small house. Naruto looked at the street. There were a few people around who kept looking in their direction but so fair no one was coming their way. Maybe Neji was too big to fit in the house, but as long as he was hidden from sight no one would know he was here. Naruto pulled a towel off the clothes line and threw it over Neji's head. It was a pathetic attempt. The towel only covered Neji's face, leaving the rest of him exposed. Naruto slapped his forehead, realizing how foolish the idea was. It was no use. They couldn't hide him. Neji was just too big.

Nianzu and his wife stepped outside to brainstorm. There was really only one thing they could do that would work.

"We'll just have him climb over the wall and stay there," Nianzu's wife said. "That way no one will find him unless they go outside the village."

That seemed easy enough. However, Neji had become very attached to Naruto and was reluctant to leave his side. Naruto also felt a little apprehensive about leaving Neji out of his sight. What if he ran off or got attacked by someone who wanted his pearl?

Naruto bit his lip. There was another issue. He had been taking advantage of these people for a while now. Eating all their food and having the pregnant wife go out shopping two to three times a day to get more when they had so little to spend as it was. Naruto had also taken their bed from them and used up nearly all of their time trying to sift through all the books and scrolls in the back room for his friend's sake. He was putting them out quite a bit himself. Now that they had a supposed cure, which no one in the house could solve, there was no reason to stay.

"I think we should go anyway," Naruto confessed.

"Really?" Nianzu sounded disappointed. "Are you sure?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. I didn't think we would stay this long, either. But we should really get going." Naruto picked up the piece of paper from the floor. "Besides, we have this. This is what we were after all this time and now that we have it…"

"I understand." Nianzu gave Naruto a sad smile. He really didn't want to see Naruto go.

Naruto looked from him to the paper. "This is yours, isn't it?"

"Yes. I found it in her diary stuck between two pages. It's the only copy."

Naruto started to hand it back, but Nianzu pushed it away toward Naruto's chest.

"You keep it for now."

"Are you sure? Isn't this important to your family or something?"

He nodded. "You need it for the time being. You can bring it back to me once your friend has been cured. How about that?"

Nodding, Naruto tucked the piece of paper into his jacket. "Deal."

They moved quickly, trying to leave the village before anyone noticed. Making sure the piece of paper was safe, Naruto climbed onto Neji's back, getting ready to leave. Shira came out with a large bag and held it up for Naruto to take. It was an old brown bag full of holes and only one strap. Inside the bag were large boxes filled with meat and rice.

"It's for your travels. You can keep that bag if you like. I know it's old and really worn but it still works."

"Thanks so much." Naruto pulled the bag onto his back.

"Where will you go from here?" Nianzu asked.

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know."

"If you don't mind, I have a suggestion." Nianzu pointed to the mountain off in the distance. "Perhaps you and Neji should go there. That's called Yáo lán Mountain."

Naruto looked at the mountain shrouded in mist, cutting into the sky like a jagged piece of metal.

"That is where the priestess left her dragons when they weren't assisting her. She had more than one dragon and they were all decently large so there was simply no room for them in the village. That was their home."

Naruto's blue eyes lit up. "So if we go there… we might be able to find something that can help change him back!"

"That's the idea," Nianzu smiled.

"Alright! We've got a plan!" Naruto stroked Neji's scaly neck. "Let's get going to that mountain."

"Before you go…" Nianzu started. "I owe you an explanation."

"Hm?" Naruto turned back.

"Remember before I told you that if we found the cure, I would tell you something?"

Naruto paused. "Oh, yeah! I forgot all about that. So what's the answer?"

Nianzu stepped forward as Naruto leaned down. "When I told you that I understood my past a little better thanks to you…"

"Yeah?"

"When my mother left us, I thought it was my fault. I thought it was all because of me. I felt that if I had done something or tried to be better, then she would have stayed. Maybe I didn't tell her enough how much I loved her, maybe I didn't clean as often as I should have, maybe I wasn't nice enough. I felt that I should have done more to make her stay. I blamed myself. It took me years to realize that it wasn't about me. There was nothing that I could do. She was the one being selfish. She was the one who couldn't be pleased. I had nothing to do with it."

Naruto blinked. Had Nianzu really been blaming himself for that all these years?

"That's why after she left I…" Nianzu chuckled slightly. "Well, maybe that's why I'm so helpful. I guess in the back of my mind, I'm afraid that unless I do more, the people I care about will leave me. Maybe that's why I am the way that I am."

That was why he was so generous? Nianzu was afraid that people would leave him and not love him anymore?

Nianzu smile and let out a deep breath as if a great weight had been lifted. "I'm not afraid of that anymore. I'm not going to spend my life in fear of another's decisions. I'm going to keep doing what I'm going, but not out of fear but out of consideration for another person."

There were voices coming from up the road, closing in.

"You'd better get going," Shira warned.

"Thanks for everything you guys." Naruto tapped his chest where the paper lay hidden. "I'll come back and return this as soon as I can, ok?"

"Then I guess we'll meet again real soon. Good luck to the both of you."

"Thanks! See ya!" Naruto tapped Neji's back. "Ok, let's go. Over the wall, quick before someone sees."

Like a large gecko, Neji climbed over the wall and slipped down the other side. Naruto turned back to look at the wall. He knew Nianzu and his wife were on the other side, but he felt as if they were miles away. He missed them already.

"Ah… they were really nice, weren't they?" Naruto asked Neji. "I'm so glad they helped us as much as they did. They were pretty cool."

Neji started walking toward their new destination. Not a full ten feet from the village, Neji heard Naruto yell out from his back, causing him to halt.

"Oh, no!" Naruto nearly screamed. "I'm so stupid!"

Neji turned his head around, wondering if Naruto had forgotten something vital back at the house.

"I could have used my Shadow Clones to help look in all those books and scrolls and stuff and saved a lot of time instead of just us staying up all night to look! Why didn't I think of that before?! I'm such an idiot!"

Neji sighed, rolling his eyes and started walking forward while Naruto kicked himself for not thinking of that sooner.

* * *

That's true, Naruto, you could have.

Oh, well!

Please review! ^-^


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17:**

Soon, the white walls of the town had disappeared from their sight and Naruto and Neji were left to wander the outside world without any sort of familiarity. The land opened up before them, the trees parting for them as if they were welcomed upon the soil.

Feeling that enough time had passed, Naruto opened the worn bag given to him by the kind couple. He pulled out one of the boxes containing food and opened it. The trapped steam had made the container moist. Naruto wiped his hands off on his pants and looked at the plump rice balls. He pulled out a slightly soggy one and took a big bite out of it. He was so happy to have some good food for a change while wandering around this unexplored land.

Neji turned his head, smelling the rice and eyed the one in Naruto's hand with hunger. Naruto tossed him a fresh one with his other hand. Together, they made short work of the rice balls, finishing them off quickly. Naruto was tempted to start one of the other boxes but decided not to. They had to be careful and ration this food carefully. With the peach trees so far behind, it was unlikely for them to find anything else to eat for miles. As Naruto looked at the distant mountain, he realized that it would be even more unlikely for them to find any food further ahead. The land at the base of the mountain looked very barren.

They reached a small stream and stopped for a rest. The sun was still high in the sky, despite traveling for several hours. The mountain seemed closer but they weren't there yet and wouldn't be until the next day. Seeing the stream and the grass and the thin layer of trees to the side, Naruto decided that this would be a good place to stop and rest for a while.

Taking his time, getting a drink, Naruto paused several times to take a look at the land. He took the bag off his back and set it down by the stream to rest his back. He started going through the different boxes, seeing how much they had between them to eat. Naruto alone could eat all this food within the next couple of days. But with a large dragon traveling with him, it seemed that they would only have enough to get by for the day. The way Neji ate, everything would be gone within minutes if not carefully monitored.

Looking at Neji, Naruto noticed a few things about him that were hard to overlook. While Neji drank, bent over the clear water reflecting the afternoon sun, Naruto could clearly see the dried mud around his legs and belly. Even the hair on Neji's tail hard started to bunch, dried by the hot sun and dragged across the ground. He was filthy. Naruto looked down at his recently washed clothes and his clean skin, still smelling faintly of soap and oils. He was lucky enough to bathe at least once this week, but not Neji. He was too big to fit in a bathtub and no one bothered to try.

"Neji," he said while Neji drank. "You need a bath."

The dragon stopped drinking and lifted his head away from the water, but did not turn. He seemed to be wondering if he had heard him correctly.

At the bottom of the bag, Naruto found a small towel which was too small to pass itself off as a blanket. It was either placed in the bag by mistake or to help keep all the boxes level so they wouldn't fall through the holes. He pulled it out and started walking toward Neji. Now he turned, eying Naruto suspiciously. "Come on, let's get you clean."

Neji stepped back with a growl.

"What? I've washed your back before at the bathhouse. What's the big deal? I've seen you do it for Lee and Kiba, too, and so have I."

Neji bared his fangs are Naruto, backing away.

"What? You're filthy. You need it." As Naruto stepped closer, Neji lowered himself to the ground. Naruto paused, staring at Neji's pose. His upper body was lying flat on the ground while his lower half was still in a standing position. It reminded Naruto of a dog, ready for play. As soon as Naruto took another step, Neji suddenly took off running. "Hey, wait! What are you..?"

Neji was running away from him. He stopped several times to look back and see if Naruto was chasing him. Naruto ran and Neji took off.

"Get back here!" Naruto yelled, chasing him around with the towel. "You need it! You're covered in mud!"

Was this all a game to Neji or did he not want to be washed? Naruto honestly hadn't a clue. All he knew was that he was chasing after a dragon trying to get him clean. Pulling up several Shadow Clones, Naruto blocked Neji's path causing him to turn down another path. He was blocked again and this time the clones all latched onto his long neck, weighing him down. Neji sidestepped and the clones and Naruto pushed him into the water with a mighty splash.

Now Naruto was standing in the water with Neji, his damp jacket toss by the bag to dry while he gave Neji a good scrub. Neji stood in the water purring as Naruto massaged his scales and mane with the damp towel. "There, see? That feels better, now doesn't it?" Naruto said as if addressing a puppy. Every now and then, Neji would jerk his body or move away. For the most part, he remained still and let Naruto wash him. Without any warning, Neji scampered off downstream, splashing in the water playfully. He turned back and deliberately splashed Naruto with his front legs. Then he started splashing with his tail, having a great time. Naruto started to splash him back, playing with him. They chased each other up and down the stream, getting soaked.

Soon, the game was over and the two climbed out of the water to relax in the sun and dry. Naruto faced the sun, closing his eyes and sprawling out to sun himself and get dry that way. Neji did the same, shaking his mane every now and again and getting Naruto's face wet.

Now dry, Naruto turned away from the sun. It was too bright. Naruto frowned and held up his hand, trying to block the sun from his eyes. Neji lifted his tail and held it over Naruto's head, acting as his umbrella. "Thanks."

Neji snorted and placed his head on the ground to rest. Now clean, Naruto could see just how shiny and magnificent his scales were in the light. It was far different from any paintings he had seen. This was a real living dragon, sitting right beside him. Even dramatic paintings did not properly capture the true beauty he saw in Neji just sitting still in the sun. It was truly a sight to behold. Naruto could not believe he was in the presence of a dragon. It was amazing.

Though he had traveled with Neji for so long and had been through so much with him in this state, he had never noticed just how incredible Neji was. He had looked at Neji but had never really looked at him. Even seeing that he was a dragon, Naruto never actually saw him as a dragon. Was it their friendship that blocked that from Naruto's mind or was it something else? All he saw when he looked at Neji was Neji. Not a monster, not a lizard, not power or property. Just someone he had known for a long time and may have finally gotten a chance to know a little better.

Neji lifted his head and looked at the sky as a pair of birds flew by overhead, tweeting their own conversation, as if commenting on the strange pair below. He watched them fly by with a look of longing on his face.

Naruto followed his gaze and started to think. He watched Neji's body language and understood what he wanted. "You want to try flying again, Neji?"

The dragon almost flinched and looked down at the boy beside him. He looked surprised. Flying before had been such a disaster, he hadn't tried again after that. But he was a dragon; it was in his nature. Humans have long desired the ability to fly and Neji could fulfill that dream. He could feel what it was like to be free. He looked upon the birds with envy but Naruto had just offered him the opportunity to join them in the sky.

"Want to try flying again, Neji?" he repeated.

Neji seemed to debate this for some time, as if wondering if it was a mistake to do so. He wanted to give it a try, but he was afraid to make another attempt.

"Come on, let's give it another shot. It could make everything shorter. No more walking around getting your four feet dirty. Right? Huh?"

With Naruto's pushing, Neji agreed and stood up. It was worth a try.

They found a space further away from the water and Naruto's travel bag. Neji stood in the grass and looked at Naruto as if expecting him to give him instructions. Naruto waved him on. "Well, go on. Try flying."

That was easier said than done. Neji had no idea what he was doing. Not wanting to look the fool, Neji made his first attempt at flight. He tried leaping into the air but that did nothing. He came back down to earth landing on his feet. He tried to remember what he was doing the first time he flew in this form. He was running, he remembered that. Being careful not to trip, Neji started running through the grass, trying to gain some distance between him and the ground. As soon as he was up and running, he tried to jump into the air. He fell flat on his face.

"You ok?" Naruto stood beside him, watching him fall. "Try getting all your feet off the ground at the same time. Your back legs were still on the ground when you jumped."

Neji stood up feeling discouraged. He didn't want to try again. Then he remembered the birds flying freely about his head. Their pull was too strong. He wanted to answer their call and join them in the sky. Giving his body a shake, he tried again.

It was like trying to get a kite in the air. The faster he ran, the less his feet touched ground. He tried jumping again but he remained grounded. After attempting it four times, he looked up to find Naruto running along side him. He was cheering him on. Coaching him.

"Come on, Neji! You can do it!"

Neji got to his feet and tried again.

"That's good. Now get your feet up! Come on, Neji! Get them up off the ground. That's it! Just a little more!"

Even with all of Naruto's coaching and advice, it still seemed hopeless. No matter how hard he tried, he remained rooted to the earth. Then he felt a pull on his tail and turned. Naruto was lifting up his tail, holding it off the ground with five other clones.

"I think you keep tripping over this. I'll hold it up while you give it another try."

Neji did as he was told. After taking no more than ten steps, there was a popping sound and Neji turned to find that his massive tail had crushed the clones. The real Naruto was still pinned down underneath him. Neji lifted his tail for Naruto to get air. He rolled out from under him, coughing.

"I don't think the tail's the problem... Let's try something else."

They tried numerous tactics but no matter what they tried, nothing worked. Neji couldn't understand what they were doing wrong.

Naruto stood back looking Neji up and down. He was breathing hard after trying to keep up with Neji's speed. "Maybe we're going about this the wrong way..." He stood in front of Neji, touching the end of his snout and giving it a rub. The action caused Neji to purr unconsciously. "Listen to me."

Neji listened.

"Have you ever had flying dreams before? Or one of those floating dreams? Have you? Do you remember them?"

Unable to answer him verbally, Neji blinked his eyes in response. Having a flying dream was rare for him. Maybe it was because he was so rooted to this world, he was unable to fly freely and be imaginative even in his dreams. Whatever the reason, flying dreams were a rarity for him. It had been so long since he had had one. He tried to remember what they were like.

"You flew before without thinking about it. I think you're thinking about it too much. You have to stop thinking and let it happen. It comes naturally. If you put too much thought into it, you over-think it. You need to let it go. Let all your thoughts go and be free. Just do what you want. Just like in a dream. Do whatever you feel like. Just let it happen."

Since when had Naruto gotten so smart? His delivery may not have been the best, but he was pretty insightful. Neji actually understood him. Nodding, Neji lifted himself up as Naruto stepped back out of his way.

Neji took in a deep breath through his nose. The scent of the air was different from anything else he had smelled before. His sense of smell had been amplified. Everything came through so clearly for him. He could smell everything. The grass and the dirt and the trees and the water and the sweaty boy standing nearby watching him. He could smell everything.

Everything.

Don't think about it. Do what you feel like. Don't think; feel.

He had spent so much of his life thinking about every single thing. Everything he was going to say and everything he was doing to do. He was constantly thinking about his image and how other people perceived him. Thinking how he could be better, how he could improve. What his actions did to effect others. How his actions effected the mission and everyone around him. What move should he take next? What were the consequences? What to do? What to do?

Putting those thoughts aside, he started moving his body, feeling how it moved. He explored his body without thinking about it. He watched how his tail moved and how heavy it felt dragging through the grass. He relaxed his claws and flexed them, feeling the dirt under his feet. He inhaled the unique aroma of the air. He listened to the sounds around him. The rustling of the trees and the trickling water to his side and his own breathing and footsteps.

Be free. Don't think. Just do. Do it. Do whatever you want. For once in your life, be free.

He started running. He didn't know where he was going and didn't care. He didn't think. He did whatever his body wanted him to do. He allowed himself to be impulsive. He ran for the water and splashed through it, getting himself soaked. The water felt so good on his body. He made his way back to land and continued running. He chased his tail and his shadow and the fluttering leaves. He twisted and coiled his body, curling into himself and letting himself roll around in play. He had never felt so free before. The ability to do anything was incredible.

He lept this way and that, galloping and jumping, letting his energy build and swell within him. He jumped straight up and was a caged bird no more.

Neji didn't come back down like he had so many times before. He kept climbing. Higher and higher into the sky he went. He twisted his body to the side, changing direction. He started to descend then hovered above the ground. He was flying.

He didn't think about it. He didn't think about what his next move would be. He did whatever came naturally to him.

All the forgotten memories of his dreams came back to him in that moment. He remembered flying in his dreams. He remembered feeling so weightless and free. And happy. He could do anything he wanted. There was no need to worry. No need for cares. He left all his problems on the ground and rose into the air. He remembered nothing and that was the most wonderful thing in the world. Nothing to stop him, nothing to fear nothing to worry. Nothing but the air and ground beneath him. No limitations. Nothing but sweet, beautiful flight. And wonderful, wonderful freedom.

He remembered a dream he had as a child when he opened his window and lifted into the air as if gravity was nonexistent. He remembered another dream when he was in danger and saw no way out of it and jumped into the air, flying away. And the third dream he remembered having was from a few years ago. He was flying above the Leaf Village. Just flying. He saw the streets pass by under him and waved at all the smiling faces waving back at him. Everything was in his reach. He remembered landing on the Hokage monument and then pushing off to climb even higher. He remembered doing tricks in the air and spinning into the clouds, shaping them as if they were made of wiped cream. He fell into the air, completely free.

Those dreams were nothing compared to the real thing. Neji spiraled upward and didn't stop. He let himself be taken by the sky. He spun, he turned, he twisted. He threw himself into the clouds, tasting them. He snapped at the pink cotton candy floating so far from the world with his jaws. He swam in them knowing no dream could ever compare to this.

It really was like swimming, but there was no resistance from the water. He could come and go as fast or as slow as he wanted. He didn't have to worry about coming up for air or anything. But the feeling was there. The weightlessness, the freedom. It was wonderful.

He did a full loop and fell from the sky headfirst. The ground was coming up fast but he was not worried. The view was beautiful. The tops of the trees and the acres of land never looked better. He quickly twisted himself away from the ground and heard cheering. He looked below and saw Naruto cheering him on from the ground. He circled overhead, smiling brighter than he ever had in his life. He was smiling so much, his face started to ache. He didn't care. It felt so good. He had never been happier. He had never felt so free.

After meeting with the sky so many times he had lost track, he finally came down and touched earth. He stood in front of Naruto looking very proud of himself. Naruto, who had been chasing his shadow for some time, came running up to the dragon. He threw his arms around Neji's long neck, talking excitedly.

"That was amazing! You should have seen it! You should have seen yourself, Neji! You looked so cool! You were like 'whoosh' and then you were like 'gaah' and then you did this thing where you were all 'waa'! It was so awesome!" Naruto reenacted everything Neji had done in the sky during his flight. He was just as excited as Neji and just as pleased. Naruto's energy seemed to seep into Neji's body. He couldn't help himself and started nuzzling Naruto's face with his snout, growling affectionately. Naruto treated him like an energetic dog and patted his snout. Laughing. "You were unbelievable!"

Neji threw up his head and unleashed a massive amount of flame into the air in celebration. He couldn't contain himself. Naruto's cheeks burned from the heat released overhead, watching until the fire disappeared. Neji was still smiling at him as he lowered his head with another growl. Naruto stroked his snout again. Neji closed his eyes and purred, enjoying it.

Excitement wearing off, Naruto and Neji walked back over to the bag beside the water and opened it up. Naruto pull out a few boxes and started opening them one after another. The ones containing the large slabs of meat he tossed to Neji while he sat down to enjoy a bento he found mixed in with the other containers. They ate their dinner while watching the sunset.

"Can you believe it's that late already?" Naruto asked. "Just how long were we doing that? Time flew just as fast as you did, huh, Neji?"

He gave a small roar, still very pleased with himself. He ate his meat quickly and started sniffing at Naruto's, still hungry. Naruto didn't mind sharing and fed him another container of meat and rice. Neji's long tail thumped the ground, creating a breeze behind Naruto's back while he ate. Naruto couldn't remember a time he had ever seen Neji so happy before. He didn't think it was possible.

Naruto finished the very last crumb of food and set the empty bento box aside. Neji sniffed at it, looking for leftovers. As foolish as it may have been, Naruto gave Neji another helping of food feeling that he deserved it. This meant they would only have one container on the journey to the mountain.

"We should probably get some rest."

Neji agreed, licking his lips. Naruto made sure the other box was packed up tight and set the bag aside until morning. As Naruto turned, trying to find a place to get comfortable, he saw Neji set fire to a pile of dry sticks, making a fire. Without a blanket to keep warm, Naruto knew they would need a fire. He sat in front of the fire and Neji curled his long body around him, creating a circle around the boy and the fire. His body became the shelter, blocking out the wind and keeping Naruto warm.

In the dark of night, Naruto couldn't see the mountain but knew they were close. They would reach it by tomorrow. Letting the fire burn, Naruto lay his body against Neji's. The dragon allowed it without complaints. In fact, he lay his head close to Naruto in what appeared to be a protective way.

Naruto felt very safe with Neji so close by. He had grown so used to sleeping against the dragon's body that sleeping in a normal bed felt strange. Sleeping propped against the large scaly body was surprisingly comfortable. It made him feel safe, like nothing could touch him.

"You know, for a coldblooded lizard, you're actually pretty warm."

Neji snorted a response.

Naruto stretched out, facing the fire. "We should get to sleep soon. We have to get all the way to the mountain in the morning."

Neji snorted again.

Then Naruto sighed. "I never thought I'd say this… but I miss hearing you talk. What I wouldn't give to have you yell at me again. I'm getting kind of tired of hearing my voice all the time." But it was better than silence. It had been so long since he had heard Neji speak that he was starting to forget what his voice sounded like.

Neji draped the end of his tail over Naruto's lap to be used as a blanket. Naruto stroked the hairs absentmindedly. He wanted to fix this curse and hear Neji's voice again. He wanted to go home.

"Good night, Neji."

He snorted again, laying his large head close by.

* * *

He can fly! Believe it!

Sorry, I had to do that ^^'

Oh, yes! There will be a big surprise in the next chapter. Can't tell you what. You'll have to read to find out. It will be up soon :D

Please review ^-^


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**:

The next morning, Naruto woke before Neji and decided to let him sleep in while he doused the remaining embers with water from the stream. There weren't many fish in the water. In fact, any fish he did find were so tiny they couldn't be counted as a meal. Neji sensed Naruto's movements and stirred. He gathered himself up and followed the stream until he stood beside Naruto, growling in greeting. Naruto stroked his snout.

"Let's head out."

Neji went along with what Naruto wanted and bent down to give Naruto a ride. Naruto climbed aboard and the two were off.

Their journey to the mountain was pretty uneventful. Feeling restless, Naruto walked most of the way rather than riding on the dragon. There was a small forest between them and the path to the mountain pulling them away from the stream. Naruto led the way while Neji followed behind, keeping his body low to avoid the branches. In the forest, Neji found several small animals and chased after them for a snack. He kept close to Naruto and would give up the chase if Naruto ever left his sight. Even so, he managed to catch and eat two rabbits.

When they left the forest, the mountain was straight ahead. They would be there in just a few minutes. The land in the shadow of the mountain was like a wasteland. Nothing grew there. There was no grass, just a massive amount of dirt and rocks. The mountain itself just looked like a giant pile of stone to Naruto. There was no green at all and nothing to separate it from the rest of the land.

"Jeez, so this is where her dragons were supposed to stay when they weren't with her?" Naruto wondered aloud. "There's nothing here. It's like everything was burned away." How fitting for a dragon's nest.

If this was truly a dwelling for dragons then Neji would probably like it here. Naruto looked to see what Neji thought of it. He had his eye on the mountain itself, looking at nothing else. He seemed fairly comfortable here. After a while, Neji started to look around at the rest of the land. The stream was still within sight and had opened up and disappeared into the trees separating the mountain from the green land further away. This was a dragon's domain and even the trees seemed to be aware of it. Nothing grew at the base of this mountain, as if afraid of its shadow.

Naruto opened his jacket and took out the piece of paper with the supposed incantation written by the Priestess. "Hey, Neji, come here a sec."

The dragon trotted over and stood in front of the boy.

"Stand there. I'm gonna try this again. Maybe this spell only works if you're standing on this land." Naruto read from the paper again and looked to see if Neji had transformed back. He hadn't. Naruto tried reading it aloud again. Nothing happened. "Maybe you need to be on the mountain itself."

Neji went and stood at the base of the mountain. Naruto read from the paper again and there was no change. Next, Neji tried standing on the mountain itself while Naruto read it again. Still, nothing changed. Nothing was working.

"Damn it!" Naruto crumpled up the paper in his rage and threw it on the ground. "What the hell do I have to do?!"

Neji came over to comfort Naruto. He could see how bothered he was by this bit of bad news.

After calming down, Naruto picked up the paper and smoothed it out on his knee. He sat down on a rock and read over it again. "Maybe…" he said slowly. "Maybe it's not a spell at all. What if it's a clue? Maybe it's a riddle instead."

That actually made sense. It wasn't a spell, it was a riddle. All Naruto had to do was figure it out. He set to work at once and tried to break it apart.

After a few minutes, Naruto became discouraged again and moaned loudly into the air. "Ugh! This is hopeless! I'm no good at riddles! I suck at puzzles and always have!"

Losing interest in watching Naruto read, Neji had wandered off, now entertaining himself with an insect. He chased it around the stone covered land and across the dirt and over rocks. Then a pair of birds distracted him and he looked up. Growling happily, Neji lifted into the air and chased after them. Startled by the dragon flying with them, the birds scattered, chirping excitedly. Neji wasn't trying to eat them, he was playing with them, though the birds didn't think so.

"Glad he's enjoying himself…"

Naruto looked at the ground with a sigh. He slid off the rock, going for a walk. He had a lot to think about.

He looked back for a moment, watching Neji playing in the air with the birds. Neji playing games? That was so unlike him. Though Neji seemed happy, Naruto was worried. "What if that's true? The longer Neji's like this, the more dragon-like he'll become. What does that mean? Does that mean that he'll become a complete dragon and will forget what it's like to be human?"

Which raised another question to mind: Was this frolicking Neji really Neji or the dragon inside him? Granted, Naruto didn't know Neji that well, but he had never seen Neji behave like this before. Even when they were playing a game, Neji took it seriously. He never really laughed or did anything outrageous, worrying about his image. Seeing Neji chase birds and be affectionate with him made Naruto wonder what was happening to Neji. Was this the dragon getting out? Or was this really Neji, just more carefree now that he was away from any responsibilities? Naruto had no idea.

"Was he changing all this time and I just never realized it?" Naruto didn't know what was Neji and what was the dragon. He didn't know the first incident, the first warning sign, the first time Neji ever did anything out of the ordinary. He had no idea. "Has it been happening all this time and I never noticed it? Is that what's going on?"

Naruto moved around large rocks and over dead branches, lost in thought. He looked down at the paper crumpled up in his fist and felt more confused than ever.

"I promised that I'd find a way to change him back… But this is too hard! I can't figure it out! But I can't give up. Not because it's hard. I can't. I promised him. But what am I supposed to do? I have no idea what I'm doing. Ugh, I feel so helpless… But Neji is depending on me. I can't let him down."

Maybe they had grabbed the wrong paper. Maybe the real answer was still back at the village they had just left. Maybe if they went back there and searched a little longer they would find the answer.

The air around him felt warmer. He heard a strange rumbling sound that sounded oddly familiar. It was the same rumbling noise Neji made in his throat when he was preparing for a growl. Had Neji followed him without him knowing? He was pretty lost in thought. Naruto looked up and saw something very large move. It had a long scaly body and horns on its head.

But it wasn't Neji.

Stepping into the light, this being stood high above Naruto's head, its horns pronged like antlers. Its scales were a deep red color, just like its blood colored mane. It curled its lips, showing off its white fangs. He growled loudly at Naruto, narrowing its eyes.

Naruto fell back in shock. "D-d-d-d-dr-dra-dra-drag..! D-drag..!"

The dragon roared loudly, towering above him like the mountain behind it. Its hot breath took away Naruto's air, burning his lungs. He flattened himself to the dirt covered land and crossed his arms over his head, screaming.

Another roar blended with the first one and something flew over his head. Naruto opened a space between his arms and looked up. Neji stood above Naruto, challenging the red dragon. "Neji!"

The second dragon roared back, lowering its head and curving its spine the way cats did just before a fight. Neji thundered back, their roars making the earth shake. Naruto could feel the vibrations in his limbs as he lay in the dirt, watching them with wide eyes.

It was a screaming battle between dragons. When one roared, the other tried to match it or roar even louder than the other. Naruto had no idea Neji could sound like that. It was a roar that even made him quake.

Neji stood above Naruto, scratching at the ground with his claws, roaring at the other dragon as if saying 'go away!' to the threat. He was protecting Naruto. Neji commanded the dragon again, stomping his front feet on the ground with all his might. The other dragon wasn't deterred and roared again, making himself bigger. Neji stood his full height, snarling and baring his fangs. Though the red dragon seemed slightly bigger, their roars and the viciousness or their expressions made them evenly matched.

Finding he could move again, Naruto got to his feet, standing behind Neji. He called his name softly, still in a state of shock seeing another dragon. Neji's eyes quickly darted back to look at him and that's when the red dragon struck. Opening its mouth wide, the red dragon went straight for Neji's throat. "Neji!"

The warning wasn't needed. Neji struck back at the same time. Their attacks canceled out and they sprang apart but only to prepare for a second round. This time, they leapt at once. Their claws clashed together and their long bodies coiled around each other's. Neji managed to get the red dragon on its back. The red dragon wrapped its body around Neji's and started pulling. Off balance, Neji stumbled back and that's when the red dragon bit into his neck. Blood oozed from the open wound.

"Neji!"

Though human weapons were useless against his scales, it seemed that the only thing strong enough to break through was another dragon. Neji was hurt.

Roaring, Neji slammed the red dragon down, pinning it and bit back. His fangs pierced its shoulder and again on its neck. The red dragon threw him back and started pushing with its body. Again they were coiled in each other's bodies and were biting and slashing at one another.

"I've got to help him…" Naruto came out of his daze and decided to assist. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

Dozens of clones appeared and started attacking the red dragon. Neji pulled away and roared at Naruto.

"What?"

Neji bucked his head, pointing away and growling.

Naruto understood. Neji wanted to handle this himself. He didn't want Naruto's interference. Naruto didn't need to call back his clones. The second dragon made short work of them and then attacked Neji when his back was turned. They grappled on the ground, rolling over each other, getting closer to the trees and stones. There was a loud cracking noise as the two broke through the trees with a crash. Naruto stood and watched.

The red dragon emerged and locked eyes with Naruto. Neji was trapped among the fallen trees. Before he could think about it, Naruto's body was in motion. He was running away from the dragon. Part of him knew he was no match for it, but another part of him wanted to fight back. Right now, he was luring the dragon away from where Neji lay, giving him a chance to recover.

The red dragon cut him off, landing in front of him and knocking him to the ground. Naruto sat on the ground, looking up at the red dragon. It lowered its head to look at him more closely. It snorted, blowing heat into Naruto's face which smelled of sulfur. Naruto tried not to move. As a result, the red dragon didn't attack. It was looking him over, trying to decide if he was an enemy or food.

Naruto gulped and looked over the red dragon. He was so surprised to see a second one. He thought Neji was the only dragon alive. Then again, he had no idea how long dragons lived. This was the mountain famous for being home to the Priestess's dragons. Maybe it was possible for at least one of them to still be alive. It shouldn't have been that surprising to find a dragon here of all places. This was where they made their home.

This dragon may have belonged to her. It looked different from Neji in terms of color and the number of prongs on its horns. It was bigger than Neji but only slightly. It had the same body, long and serpent-like. It had the same round orb on its head. Its eyes were different from Neji's. They were an odd shape. Its pupils were narrowed to slits the way Neji's got when he was enraged. But that wasn't all he noticed about this dragon's eyes. It was the color. Unlike Neji's clear eyes, this dragon's was a light turquoise color. It was oddly familiar. But Naruto knew he had never seen this dragon before. Yet the red mane and light green eyes made Naruto think he had seen it somewhere before. Especially with those dark rings around its eyes, almost like a raccoon.

Naruto blinked. He looked at the red mane and its red scales. He looked at its green eyes and the dark circles around them. He looked at the way it glared at him in a way that seemed so familiar. He looked at the sand colored underbelly of the dragon. Sand…

Naruto's eyes widened. "Gaara?"

The red dragon blinked then roared loudly, opening its jaws wide. Naruto rolled out of the way just in time and stood up running backwards away from it. He couldn't believe it. Maybe he was imagining things. No, that was impossible. It had to be. But there was no way.

"I don't believe it… How can that be?" Naruto's heart was pumping so fast it was making his head spin. Or maybe there was another reason for his head to be spinning. "How is it possible for..? Gaara, is that really you? How?! How are you a dragon? What the hell's going on?!"

The dragon roared and came after Naruto again. He jumped back, dodging his attacks.

"I'm sure of it. That's definitely Gaara. But how is that possible? He would have had to touch that orb thingy in the…"

Then he remembered what the village headman had told him the night he and Neji went into the shrine. The orb had been stolen once before but was brought back by someone from the Sand Village. Whoever it was, he was a boy and he was young and small according to the headman. That must have been it. It was Gaara who returned the Dragon's Pearl. Which meant he had touched it with his bare hands. Gaara didn't normally wear gloves, but those thieves did. That must have been how he received the curse. Now Gaara was a dragon just like Neji.

"No freaking way!"

The dragon Naruto now knew to be Gaara snapped at him again.

"Gaara! It's me, Naruto!" He dodged another attack. "It's me! Don't you remember? Don't you know me, Gaara? Don't you remember me at all?"

The longer they remained as dragons then more they became dragons.

"Oh, no… Don't tell me…"

There was another roar and Neji came to his rescue. He knocked Gaara aside and stood in front of Naruto, protecting him. As Gaara started to get up, Neji went on the offensive.

"No, no, wait!" Naruto grabbed Neji's snout, stopping his attack. "Stop, Neji! Don't! That's Gaara! It's Gaara!"

Neji stopped his attack but was still itching for a fight. He saw Gaara struggle up and roar at them. He felt Naruto pushing on him and calling into his ear.

"Come on! We've got to go! Hurry! Neji, we've got to get out of here!"

Just as Gaara unleashed a large flame, Neji scooped up Naruto and dove behind the trees and started running far away from the mountain. Since they didn't take flight, Gaara had no idea which way they went and gave up the attack, returning to the mountain with a roar.

"I don't believe this…" Naruto was saying to himself as Neji carried him away. "Gaara's a dragon… Gaara's a dragon…" He had no desire to fight Gaara in this state. Not only that, but he was very worried. Gaara had just attacked him for no reason. Did Gaara really not know who he was? Had Gaara really forgotten about him? "He must have been a dragon too long. He must have forgotten about being human and therefore forgot about us. He has no idea who we are."

He looked down at the dragon who had slowed to a walk now that they were far enough from the mountain.

"And the same thing's going to happen to you… isn't it?" Naruto breathed.

Naruto clenched the paper which was still in his fist. The idea of Neji becoming like Gaara and forgetting about all of them was too much. There was no way Naruto was going to let that happen. He couldn't let that same fate befall Neji. But without a cure, there was very little he could do.

"Damn it! If only I could figure this stupid thing out!" Naruto wanted to rip up the paper but didn't, knowing that it was their only hope. "Why does this thing have to be a riddle?! I suck at those! You'd have to be some kind of genius to figure it out!"

A genius. Someone who was good at puzzles.

"Shikamaru..!" Naruto gasped. "Hey, that's right! Shikamaru's a freaking genius! And he's awesome at puzzles. He loves those. I bet if we go back there and show this to him, he'll be able to figure it out no problem!"

That was the plan. It was their only hope. At any rate, they had to go back and tell the village about Gaara. If he was here, then who was running the Sand Village? Maybe no one knew he was here. After all, he was all alone.

"Come on, Neji," Naruto said, stoking Neji's neck. "Let's get back to the Leaf Village."

Neji hesitated. He seemed very unsure about returning to the place he was driven from before finding a cure.

"We have to go back. I'm sure a week or so is long enough for them to forget all about this. We have to go see Shikamaru. I'm sure he can figure this riddle out in a minute. We'll get you fixed up, no problem. Trust me."

He did trust him. If Naruto wanted to go back to the village, then they would return to the Leaf. Neji nodded his head with a growl.

"Good! Now let's get going!" Naruto pointed back toward where he thought the Leaf Village was located. "To the Leaf! Let's go, Neji!"

Neji took two quick steps then sprang into the air. Naruto clutched the dragon's neck as he rose into the air. This was Naruto's first flight on Neji's back. The ride was much smoother than his first experience being carried in his teeth. Naruto looked down and saw the ground get further and further away and started laughing. He couldn't help himself. The higher they rose, the lighter he felt. He felt so light and free.

They climbed higher into the sky. The sliver clouds embraced them and then parted as they flew through, as if rippling the sky. Naruto closed his eyes with delight feeling the wind on his face. Neji reached the climax of his upward dive and changed direction, plunging himself into the clouds again, flying back toward the Leaf Village.

Neji soared through the sky with ease, the clouds brushing his face. Any heaviness inside Naruto was left behind on the ground. No wonder Neji seemed so happy when he flew. This was fantastic. It was the greatest feeling in the world. The dragon seemed to dance in the air and Naruto felt just as light as the clouds around them. Flying this close to the morning sun seemed to warm his heart and Neji's. He reached out with his hands to touch the clouds wrapped around them like fluffy fog. He could swear he felt them, but only just. Neji stayed above the clouds. They were so high, Naruto couldn't see the ground anymore. Only white fluff. Naruto spread his arms out like a pair of wings and inhaled deeply. It was so peaceful up here.

After a while, Neji dove below the clouds to take a peek at where they were. Naruto knew this land. It was the village they had passed a few days before with the large farm which could not spare them any food and the home of the little girl who gave Naruto the coin. It was just as brown as it was when they passed through. However, the farm on the other side looked greener than it had before. Naruto could have sworn something was different about it but couldn't place his figure on it.

They pushed on, flying above the forest which had taken them so long to pass through on their long walk. Flying on the dragon made traveling much faster. In no time at all, they had gotten this far which had taken them days before. Naruto felt like time passed by in minutes. He had no sense of time up here. Everything was so much faster when flying. He was impressed by how far they had journeyed.

Naruto felt so relaxed, finding the smooth ride very soothing. He was starting to wonder if he was in any danger of nodding off and falling from Neji's back. He flattened himself to the dragon's back, gripping his horns just in case. The ride was even more relaxing in this position. Naruto was certain he would fall asleep like this.

Then he looked down and saw a familiar sight. Soaring over farmland, Naruto saw the village where Seji dwelled. The paper lanterns and kites were still fluttering from the rooftops, making the village look even more colorful. Neji flew lower and circled the village several times. The farmers in the field stopped working for a moment to look up and wave. Naruto waved back, calling out to them happily. Seji came running out of his house, waving with both hands and laughing. The children pointed and called for the others to come outside and see the dragon in flight. Neji gave a roar and twisted in the air, continuing on their way. Naruto gave the village one final wave and watched it disappear, listening to their cheers and laughter.

Then they passed over the place that started it all. The village famous for its tall tales peered at them through the trees as they flew over. As they passed, Naruto saw the shrine twinkle below as if it were winking at them. They pressed on knowing what was to come next. Naruto clutched Neji's horns tightly, imagining the sight he was about to see.

And there it was. A truly heartwarming sight indeed. The Leaf Village was even more beautiful from above. The first thing Naruto saw was the Hokage monument, the carved faces watching over the people dwelling behind the walls of the village.

As much as Naruto wanted to make a big entrance, landing in the middle of the street and having everyone gawk at them, Naruto knew there was a better way. He tapped Neji's neck. "Ok, Neji. Set us down here."

Neji curled his body, changing direction. He spiraled down like a leaf and landed between the trees just outside the village. They would have to continue on foot from this moment on.

As they approached the village, Naruto began to think. After being gone for so long, everyone was bound to storm him the instant he tried to walk beyond that gate. He couldn't take Neji with him without repeating what happened before. They needed a plan.

"I think I have an idea," Naruto said after a while. Neji remained close, waiting. "If I use the Transformation Jutsu, I can sneak into the village to find Shikamaru."

Neji looked at the walls surrounding the Hidden Leaf village. It would have been easy for Naruto to climb up and over if it weren't for the guards slowing making their way from one side to the other. They were facing the other direction, possibly speaking to someone inside, but they would surely notice Naruto scaling the wall if he attempted to do so. The guards at the gate alone would stop him. Naruto didn't want to be seen coming in. Naruto was actually thinking this through.

"Ok, Neji. So you stay here and I'll be right back."

Naruto started to approach the village gate when he sensed something behind him. When he turned, he saw Neji following after him.

"No, no. Neji, you've got to stay here and hide. We can't let anyone see you. They'll just attack you again."

Neji stood where he was. When Naruto tried to move toward the village again, Neji started to follow.

"No, Neji. You can't come with me. You've got to stay here. You have to hide so no one will see you. Understand?" Naruto was very concerned. Neji didn't want to be apart from him. Or perhaps it was something deeper. Naruto began to wonder if Neji understood him anymore. Did he realize the situation they were in? Did he know why he had to hide? Naruto started to wonder if Neji was starting to forget things. He was already following him around like a puppy. He didn't want them to be separated. "Stay put, ok?"

Neji protested with a growl and tried to follow him into the village. Naruto held his snout and scratched Neji under the chin the way he liked. Neji began to purr, soothed by his touch.

"Now listen to me. You've got to stay here. Stay hidden and I'll be right back for you, ok? I'm just going to find Shikamaru and come right back. Stay put. Don't let anyone see you. Got it?"

Neji seemed to understand and nodded. He slinked back among the trees and lay low. Naruto gave him one final pat then started toward the village. He looked back to find that Neji wasn't following him anymore. He hid among the trees for Naruto's return. Wasting no further time, Naruto put his plan into motion.

* * *

This chapter was meant to be longer, but it was too long so I cut it in half.

But that's ok. Now we know about the second dragon.

Please review ^-^


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**:

The guards at the gate were easy to fool. The two men were too busy having their own conversation to notice the little chipmunk sneaking into the village. Naruto made sure to act the part. Transformed into a small rodent, Naruto sniffed the ground and investigated small pebbles on the ground, picking them up and sniffing them. He scurried this way and that, putting on a good act. When one of the guards glanced his way, he treated Naruto as nothing more than a normal animal. Chipmunks were a common sight in the village so this wasn't out of the ordinary.

Once the guards were fooled, Naruto went on his way to find Shikamaru. He waited until he was a safe distance away before transforming back into his regular form. He searched high and low for him. Something was off. No matter where he looked, Naruto couldn't find any of his friends. Surely they weren't all away on missions. He hoped that Shikamaru was still in the village. If he wasn't, hopefully he could find someone who knew his whereabouts. If he couldn't find Shikamaru, his next best bet to finding someone smart enough to solve the riddle was Sakura. She was intelligent, but Naruto wasn't sure if puzzles were her strong suit.

Naruto went straight to Shikamaru's favorite napping spot. He wasn't there. Neither was Choji. Determined to find him, Naruto went to the Nara house to look for him there. Naruto jumped onto a roof and looked into the open window of the Nara house. One room was empty and dark. The next one was quiet but there was a light on. Naruto peered inside. It was a bedroom, though there wasn't much to it. There was a bookcase and a bed and a game resting in the middle of the floor. It was a shogi board and it was paused mid game. Hearing a noise, Naruto slipped onto the windowsill to get a better look inside. Someone had their back turned to the window riffling through drawers, muttering how troublesome it was.

"Shikamaru!"

The boy gasped and spun around, bumping into the open drawer and slamming it shut on his fingers. "Ouch!" Shikamaru pulled his hand free, holding it in his other hand. "Naruto?! What the hell are you doing here?"

"That's a stupid question. I live in this village. You know that."

"That's not what I mean!" Shikamaru crossed the room and grabbed Naruto's arm, pulling him away from the open window. "You've been missing for a solid week! Maybe longer. Everyone's been worried sick about you."

"R- really?" Naruto's cheeks felt warm. "Even Sakura?"

"Who cares? Where have you been? Are you ok?"

"What? Of course I am. I was just-"

"How did you get away? Who's behind all this?"

"Who's behind what now?" Naruto tilted his head to one side.

Shikamaru was taken aback by Naruto's lack of concern. "What do you mean? Are you saying you have no idea what's going on around here?"

Naruto shrugged. "I noticed the guards outside. What's going on? Why all the security? Did something happen?"

Now Shikamaru looked frustrated. He looked at Naruto as if he had just asked him to explain where the sun went at the end of the day. "You were kidnapped. Weren't you?"

"Kidnapped?" Naruto repeated in surprise. "By who? When?"

"That's why you've been gone," Shikamaru explained. "Lady Tsunade told everyone that you were taken away by a giant lizard. It picked you up and carried you out of the village about a week ago."

"Giant lizard?" Naruto had no idea what he was talking about. Then he remembered and realized the mistake. "Oh, no. That wasn't a lizard. That was a dragon."

"Whatever it wa-"

"And he wasn't kidnapping me. He was helping me."

"Helping?"

"Well, more or less… I guess we were helping each other out. Everything got really messed up real fast."

"Do you know who summoned it?"

"Summoned?" Naruto tilted his head again. "What are you talking about?"

"The lizard that took you from the village."

"Dragon."

"Whatever. Who summoned it here?"

Now Naruto understood what was going on. "Oh, wait a minute! You think I was..? And he was..? No, no! You've got it all wrong."

"I do? That's the story we were told." Shikamaru looked very confused. "Ok, then, you tell me what's going on. What exactly happened with that liz… er, dragon?"

Naruto explained. "First of all, that dragon isn't a real dragon and it wasn't summoned here. It's Neji."

If Shikamaru didn't look confused before, now he definitely did. "Huh?"

"That dragon is Neji. He was turned into a dragon."

Naruto may have thought he was explaining everything fairly well to Shikamaru, but without a proper explanation with details and a coherent story, he was completely lost. Shikamaru tried to be patient and tried to get Naruto to explain the situation a little better than he was. "Uh… Ok, ok. So, uh… What? I mean, how the hell did that happen? That dragon thing is Neji?"

"Yup."

"Neji Hyuga?"

"Yeah."

"How exactly did he get turned into a dragon? That doesn't make any sense."

Naruto knew he had to start from the beginning if he expected Shikamaru to understand the extent of the problem. "Ok, ok… So, remember how a few days ago I was really bored and wanted a mission but there weren't any and then Neji's team got one so I went on it with them to that village that was getting stuff stolen? When we got there, there was this shrine thing in the village and they had stories about spirits and ghosts and stuff and about a dragon priestess and cursed stuff. I was freaking out and Neji was telling me to shut up but I didn't so he took me into the shrine to see that nothing was wrong but in the shrine we found this orb thing that really wasn't an orb but something called a Dragon's Pearl. And Neji touched it when I knocked it over and he got himself cursed and started to turn into a dragon. But when he turned into a dragon he couldn't talk so everyone's freaking about so we had to run and we went back to the village for help but they couldn't help us so they told us to go to another village that would have the answers. So me and Neji have been going all over the place trying to get to the village they told us to. Seji was really nice to us and we had a party and he helped us out. We got stuck in the mud and has to sleep in a barn during the rainstorm. And then we got to this village that was really rude and mean to us and no one would help us even though we were starving and did a ton of work all for nothing, but this one girl was nice and gave me a coin. We're walking and we're walking and we get to this village and this old lady who wasn't an old lady took the coin when she was hungry. Well, actually I gave it to her. Anyway, then she went whoosh down the street and I met this nice couple who were related to the Dragon Priestess lady and agreed to help us out. We went through so many books and then we found something that may cure him but we didn't know and we went to the mountain they told us to and there was nothing. And then there was a dragon fight and we had to get out of there fast as hell and since we couldn't figure out the paper I told Neji that we had to come back because you like puzzles and you should be able to figure it out, so I sneek back in here and found you and here we are."

Naruto's explanation took four breaths to say and he said the entire thing in under twenty seconds, leaving a very confused Shikamaru in its wake. He stood staring at Naruto with a puzzled expression and an open mouth.

"Ok…" Shikamaru began slowly. "What?"

Naruto groaned loudly. "Ugh! Ok, so we're at this village, right? Then we-"

"Please!" Shikamaru threw up his hands to stop him. "Please, don't say it again."

It was too long and too fast an explanation. Not to mention the fact that Naruto told it his way, which offered nothing to someone just arriving. When Naruto told a story, it was always spoken as if the person was already aware of it and just needed a summery. Shikamaru didn't know any of the details and Naruto started right in the middle, leaving out what Shikamaru deemed important.

"So, let me get this straight…" Shikamaru began again. "Neji is a dragon."

"Yup."

"And he turned into a dragon because of something called a Dragon's Pearl which is a cursed object?"

"Yup."

"And now Neji's stuck as a dragon because you can't find a cure for this?"

"Well, yes and no. See we think we found a cure, we just can't figure it out." Naruto held up the piece of paper, handing it over to the young Nara. "This is it. I think it's some kind of riddle but I can't figure it out. It's all we got."

Shikamaru took the paper but didn't read it. He was still looking at Naruto. "This whole matter seems ridiculous to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Neji getting cursed and turning into a dragon. It seems a little… you know. Impossible."

"But it really happened!" Naruto insisted. "I'm telling you. It's all because of that Dragon's Pearl. It cursed him."

"You know there's no such thing as curses. Not unless there some sort of jutsu, in which case, it's easy to reverse it. There's no need for this stuff and all the…" Shikamaru groaned looking at the paper. "It's just kind of hard to believe, ok? These kind of curses shouldn't exist. I'm just saying."

"While you're saying it, can you take a look at that riddle?" Naruto pointed to the paper closed in Shikamaru's hand. "Please?"

Moaning, he smoothed out the paper and took a look at it. He paced his room thoughtfully as he read. Then he walked back to where Naruto stood waiting and pointed at different lines on the paper.

"See here where it says 'Frolic and play, these dragon scales'? It could be a double meaning. It could mean scales as it dragon scales like on the body or it could mean like music scales. It's unclear which one it could mean."

"There was a flute in the shrine when we went inside. Could that mean something?"

Shikamaru shrugged. "Who knows?" He then pointed to a different line. "Here it's talking about night and a Dragon's Pearl and a precious stone. It could be literal again, or it could mean something else, like moon. The moon has been described as a pearl before in poems and songs. It could be another metaphor."

"So does that mean that this curse can only be lifted at night or do we have to wait for a full moon or something?"

"Again, I don't know." He sighed, handing Naruto the paper. "There's no clear meaning anywhere. Everything seems to have a double meaning. Are you sure this is what you need? It just looks like someone's first draft."

"Well, we've got to do something! We can't just leave him like this! I promised him I'd find a way to help him change back. Can't you check again? If anyone can figure this out, you can. You're good at puzzles."

"Naruto…"

"Please!" He was desperate. Something inside him told him that Shikamaru wasn't fully trying. Maybe it was due to the possibility that he didn't believe Naruto's story. "We have to help him. We have to cure Neji. He's counting on us."

"Naruto, there's no way. I just don't think that a curse… or that a dragon would actually…"

So he didn't believe him after all.

Naruto grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the window. "Come on!"

"Naruto, what the hell are you doing? Let go!" Shikamaru pulled back but wasn't putting up much of a struggle.

"I'll show you! I knew you wouldn't believe me unless you looked and saw it for yourself." Naruto dragged Shikamaru out the window and down to the street. Forgetting all about the people who may see him, Naruto pulled Shikamaru toward the gate as quickly as he could. Before they reached the gate, Naruto seemed to remember that he had to stay hidden and choose to scale the wall using the wall climbing technique and jumped down to the other side. "Come on." Naruto didn't let go for him for a second. Shikamaru went along with him either out of curiosity or sheer laziness, never putting up a struggle.

Naruto led him to the trees just outside the village. They walked down the path until they got to the location where Naruto had left the dragon. There was no sign of him anywhere. Then again, Naruto did tell him to remain hidden. Maybe Neji was afraid he would get attacked again if he showed himself to someone in the Leaf. Naruto stood in the middle of the dirt path, looking around at the woods.

"Neji?" he called quietly. There was no answer.

Shikamaru pulled his arm free. "Come on, Naruto."

"I swear, he's-"

"I know what you think, Naruto, but…"

"You think I'm crazy? I know it's Neji. I watched him transform. Even Grandma Tsunade saw him when he was just beginning to change."

"Then why didn't she mention it to us before? She called him a threat and never told us that it was Neji."

"Maybe she didn't know he'd change that fast. She wasn't around when he fully changed."

"I don't think you're crazy. Just that you're mistaken about…" There was a rustle and Shikamaru looked toward the trees. Something with horns emerged from the woods. It was big. Shikamaru grabbed his kunai.

"No!" Naruto grabbed his arm, trying to get him to drop his weapon. "After everything I just told you about him being Neji you're gonna pull this crap?"

"Let go!" Shikamaru pulled back. He didn't intend to use it. He just wanted to have it out in case it wasn't Neji and turned out to be a real threat. All ninja had to be on guard.

The blade glinted in the sunlight, catching the creature's eye. It saw Naruto and Shikamaru grapple over the object and went into attack mode. Roaring, the dragon came bounding out of the wood and charged at Shikamaru, showing his teeth.

Seeing the giant creature lunge at him, Shikamaru jumped back with a yelp. With his arm still held in Naruto's grip, he lost his footing and went down. The dragon roared again and snapped at him with its teeth. It tried to attack him, but Naruto jumped in front, waving his arms and tossing the kunai aside.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hang on a sec!"

The dragon roared again, snapping at Shikamaru's head.

"Easy! Easy! It's ok! It's just Shikamaru!" Naruto told him. "Calm down, Neji! He's not going to hurt you. You just scared him, that's all."

The dragon stopped snapping and lowered itself. It kept its eyes narrowed on Shikamaru, growling softly. It was ready to attack again should it feel the need to do so.

Naruto started scratching its head and jaw. "Take it easy, Neji. It's ok. Don't worry. He's not going to attack you. It's ok, Neji. It's ok."

The dragon calmed at his words and sat on the ground.

Shikamaru started to stand up, slowly. Naruto turned to him with a smile. "Now do you believe me?"

He was still shaking from the original attack, but was calm enough to answer him. "I never said I didn't believe you. Only that I felt you were mistaken about Neji being a dragon. I was sure that you had jumped to the wrong conclusion."

"Come on. Haven't you noticed that Neji has been missing for the same amount of time I have and that this dragon has been with me ever since we left the village? Shouldn't that tell you something?"

"But Neji's always going off on missions. And he's not part of my team so I don't have to keep track of him. I've gone weeks without seeing him before so I didn't think anything off it. I figured he had gone off on a mission."

"But you know this is Neji, right?"

"Uh…" Nothing about this dragon looked remotely like the Neji he knew. The mane was the same color and so were those pupil-less eyes, signature of the Hyuga clan. However, the eyes were slightly different. They had become narrow like a cat's, different from how Neji's eyes normally looked.

"Here." Naruto reached for Shikamaru's hand. He pulled him closer to where he stood. "Now put your hand right here. Slowly." He lay Shikamaru's hand down on Neji's snout. Neji sniffed his hand. "Now give him a scratch."

Swallowing, Shikamaru scratched Neji's scales as Naruto had told him to do. The dragon's eyes changed, dilating to their normal size. The size Shikamaru recognized as Neji's natural eye shape. He let out a breath, feeling more comfortable around this beast. "Neji?" The dragon looked at him, snorting. This really was Neji. "It's really him."

"I told you so." Naruto looked pretty proud of himself.

Still he was confused. "Then why did he attack me like that? His eyes changed, too."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I know. Maybe he thought you were a threat. I mean, he was attacked before, you know. But I guess, the way we were going for that knife, maybe he thought you were attacking me. Maybe he was just trying to protect me. He's become pretty protective of me lately."

"How do you explain the eyes, then?"

He shrugged. "When we were at one of the villages, a guy told me that the longer Neji's like this, the more dragon-like he's going to become. Until he can't remember being human…" He thought of the red dragon who attacked them near the mountain. "… like Gaara."

"Wait. Gaara?" Shikamaru grabbed Naruto's shoulder, turning him around to look him in the eye. "What are you talking about? You've seen Gaara?"

"Y- yeah."

"Where was he?"

"Um… Yáo lán Mountain," he answered. "That's where we were told to go. We found him there."

"Was he ok?"

"Uh… he was alive, if that's what you're asking."

Shikamaru let out a deep breath. Naruto couldn't tell if he was relieved or worried. Judging from his actions, Naruto had just delivered some heavy news he had been waiting for. "Gaara's been missing from the Sand Village for over a week, Naruto. I think they said he was gone for ten days. Maybe even two weeks by now."

"You mean you knew?" Naruto was very surprised.

"Yeah. Lady Tsunade told a choice few about it. The Sand Village had sent out an S.O.S, begging the Leaf for help in finding him. They couldn't find him anywhere and no one knew what had happened. They were really worried about him."

"Is that why she wasn't around before?"

"They had a private meeting."

That explained a few things. That must have been the reason why no one could tell Naruto where she was when Neji had sent him to find her. She was in a private meeting with the Sand.

"That was probably why everyone reacted the way that they did when they saw Neji in the village. The Sand Village reported a large lizard running through the streets around the same time Gaara disappeared."

"I see," Naruto thought aloud. "So everyone here thought that Neji was the same lizard."

"They must have thought that Neji was the same lizard and had come here to kidnap the Hokage, just like in the Sand Village. They said they had chased it out before it could cause any damage but since then they couldn't find it."

"Wait a minute, wait a minute!" Naruto waved his hands in the air to get Shikamaru's attention. "They chased Gaara out of the village? Why would they do that?"

Shikamaru looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The Sand Village reported that a large lizard had entered the village and kidnapped Gaara, so they asked for the Leaf's help in finding him."

"I thought you were talking about them finding him as a dragon."

"Why would they think that?

"Because Gaara is a dragon, too."

Shikamaru's eye twitched. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"When I met Gaara at the mountain, he was a dragon just like Neji. He must have gotten cursed, too. The headman of the village said that someone from the Sand had touched the Dragon's Pearl, too, so it must have been Gaara."

"How many other people are dragons out there now?!"

"Back up, back up," Naruto tried to get more information. He was pretty confused as well. "Why would they think he was kidnapped?"

"Because he disappeared around the same time the lizard showed up."

"That lizard was a dragon and it's Gaara. Can't these people figure that out?"

"Who would think of that conclusion?!" Shikamaru composed himself again. "Anyway, they also thought he was kidnapped because they were given a note."

"A note?"

"Yeah. It was supposed to be written by Gaara. It basically said that he was fine and that he would come back as soon as he could and not to worry. But they didn't believe the message was from him. They thought it was a fake, written by some kidnapper."

"Why would they think that?"

"Because whenever Gaara sends a written message, he always does it in sand. This was written in ink on paper. Therefore, they found it very suspicious."

"But if he's a dragon, he can't use any of his powers or any jutsu. It was the same way with Neji. He wouldn't be able to talk, either, which is why he couldn't tell anyone what was going on. Not that he probably knew himself. Gaara must have been flipping out, getting turned into a dragon and everything."

This new information had Shikamaru uneasy. He tried to piece everything together in his mind like a puzzle. Both Neji and Gaara were dragons according to what Naruto was telling him. However, both villages were under the impression that Gaara was kidnapped and it was done through the use of summoned beasts which looked a lot like the two dragons. There was no kidnapper. The dragons were the people who went missing, mistaken for summoned beasts sent to capture them. It was all a huge misunderstanding. To escape the attacking ninja, the two had to flee their village. Neji was with them, but Gaara was in a mountain region.

But there was something unclear to him. "Naruto, weren't you saying something before about how Neji will get like Gaara? What did you mean exactly?"

Naruto was scratching Neji's nose, keeping him calm. He turned at the question. "Uh… Only that Gaara attacked us and I think the only reason he did that was because he didn't remember us. It's like that guy told me before about how the longer they're dragons the more they'll become dragons."

"Meaning that…" Shikamaru turned to face Neji whose eyes had not changed. "Meaning that he'll forget about us, too. Just like Gaara. Is that right?"

"I guess so. But so far so good. I mean, he knows who we are and he knows his name and he managed to find his way back to the village without help. It's just some things have changed a little. At least the things I've noticed. It's not that big a deal." Deep down, Naruto was very concerned. He believed that Neji only attacked to defend himself and to protect Naruto, but there was a small part of him that felt that it was also because he had a hard time recognizing Shikamaru as a friend. His mind may have been going more than he realized.

Shikamaru looked upon the dragon with pity. And fear. If Neji could no longer recognize them as friends, what would become of him? What if he attacked others the way Gaara had? He was worried.

"But that stuff doesn't matter." Naruto turned around with a smile. "We've got the answer right there." He pointed to the piece of paper sticking out of Shikamaru's pocket. He had forgotten he put it there, everything happened so fast. "All we have to do now is figure it out."

"Figure it out?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yeah. Once you solve that riddle, it'll tell us what we have to do in order to cure Neji. Gaara, too. They'll both be back to normal in no time. Nothing to worry about."

Naruto had more confidence in Shikamaru than he did himself. At this point, he wasn't sure if he could solve the riddle scrawled on the yellow paper. He wasn't sure if it was a riddle at all. Naruto may have brought back the wrong thing.

He looked at the gray-scaled dragon, unable to see him as Neji; the Neji that he knew. Only the eyes gave him away. Now that they were no longer slits, Shikamaru was able to tell that this was Neji standing in front of him. But how long would that last? He may become animalistic like Gaara, the way Naruto had described. He was worried. Neji wasn't human anymore.

"What's with that look?" Naruto titled his head, staring at Shikamaru's worried expression. "Just figure it out and everything will be done and fixed up. No big deal."

Did he really not understand the problems and possibilities of the situation? Shikamaru was having a lot of doubts. About both his capability of solving the riddle and about Neji's condition. At the moment Neji appeared calm but that all could change at a moment's notice.

Neji nudged Naruto's back with his snout and rumbled something. "It's cool. He's got this." Neji made another rumbling sound and Naruto chuckled. "No, he's not scared of you."

"You can understand him?"

Naruto turned around. "Yeah, sort of. I've gotten better at it. Before I had next to no idea at all." He scratched Neji's jaw while the dragon nuzzled him.

Shikamaru was stunned. "I never thought I'd see the day… You two actually getting along."

"What do you mean? We've gotten along plenty of times."

"Not when he's on a mission with you. He gives you orders and you challenge them. Your high energy takes a toll on his nerves and his serious approach takes a toll on yours. You don't like when he gives you direction, he doesn't like it when you whine and act like a child and immature… Usually one of you is complaining about the other. You're friends and all, I get that, but it's just that…" Shikamaru scratched his head. "It's a different relationship, that's all I'm saying. Everyone acts different on missions than when they're hanging out. Maybe that's it. But…" He saw how Neji was actually nuzzling Naruto. "He's always had issues with personal space and now…"

Neji stopped nuzzling him, taking a sheepish step back.

"So what? He's had to do things to let me know what's going on. This is his way of saying something to me. He likes it when I scratch his chin so he's telling me that with body language." Naruto started to chuckle. "He's sort of like my pet puppy."

Neji puffed out a small flame, lighting Naruto's pants on fire.

"Hey!" Naruto patted out the flame with both hands. "I was teasing! I was just teasing!"

Shikamaru didn't know what to say. He had noticed other changes as well, but he didn't want to get off track. They still had issues to work out. That was most important at the moment.

"There it is! Hurry!"

Naruto looked up at the branches hanging overhead. He heard voices but couldn't see anyone. "Who's..?"

"Get it!"

"Over here! Go!"

Naruto stepped back into the dragon, seeing flashes circling them. Shikamaru moaned. "Oh, crap."

"What?" Someone grabbed him and scooped him up, taking him away. "Hey!"

"I have Naruto!" came a familiar voice.

"Bushy-brow?" Naruto looked back. Neji saw Naruto being carried off and his eyes narrowed dangerously. With a roar, he went after his captor. A thick chain wrapped tightly around his mouth, clamping it shut. "No! Stop!"

Another chain appeared, wrapping itself around Neji's neck. The ninja started to appear, grabbing the ends of the chains and pulling him down. Tenten summoned up more chains, wrapping them around the dragon's large body and pulling them tight. Ino jumped in to help along with Shino. They pulled the chains tighter and tighter. Neji roared, bucking his head, trying to break free.

"I got him!" shouted Kiba. "Let's go, Akamaru!"

The large dog joined him, attacking Neji on either side with their claws. Neji roared, sweeping the ground with his tail. Kiba delivered a kick to Neji's face while Akamaru tried to take a bite out of his ear.

The girls were sliding across the ground. "We can't hold it much longer!"

Shino started to send his bugs up the chains but they soon retreated. "There's something wrong. My insects have no effect on it. We have to try something else."

"Our claws are no good either. This thing's tough!" said Kiba. "Let's try Fang Over Fang, Akamaru!"

Akamaru barked back, getting ready.

"Stop it!" Naruto shouted and shoved Lee off his body. "Leave him alone!"

Lee pulled him back. "It is ok, Naruto. You are safe now. We can handle it from here."

Roaring, Neji thrashed and managed to pull the chain around his mouth free. He took in a breath and blew out a red and yellow flame at the other chains. He slashed at Kiba with his claws, trying to get his attackers to keep back. Lee charged in next and kicked Neji so hard, Naruto could see Neji's body momentarily give where he had hit and slammed into a tree, knocking it over.

"I said stop it! Don't hurt him! That's Neji!"

It was the same as before. No one would listen to him.

Tenten threw weapon after weapon at him but nothing made it through his tough scales. Ino couldn't do anything either. "No jutsu works on this thing!"

Lee gave Neji several punches to the face and shoulder area then kicked him hard on the side, sending him staggering.

"Stop hurting him!" Naruto jumped in to save him. With Lee's strength, he would cause Neji a lot of damage. Lee jumped up again. Right in the middle of the kick, Neji's jaws opened up and clamped down on Lee, breaking his leg. He threw Lee to the ground. Neji's head turned to the other side, seeing Kiba and Akamaru attacking him from behind. Even on a broken leg, Lee stood up and got ready to attack again.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto's clones grabbed Lee and held him back before he could launch another attack. Naruto stood in front of Neji, protecting him. "Leave him alone! Stop attacking!"

"Out of the way, Naruto! We got this." Kiba called for his companion. "Let's get it, Akamaru!"

"Don't hurt him! It's Neji! You're hurting Neji!"

"Move, Naruto," Shino tried to pulled him out of the way.

"No! Why are you doing this? Won't anyone listen to me?! You're hurting an ally! He's not our enemy!"

"Naruto, you're overwhelmed," Tenten told him. "Sit down out of the way and we'll get you checked into the hospital as soon as we can."

"I'm fine! You guys need to-"

Kiba was knocked off his feet by Neji's clawed hand. He took a swipe at Shino next, roaring. Akamaru barked loudly, challenging him.

"Stop it! It's Neji! You're attacking Neji! Doesn't anyone understand that?"

Akamaru jumped up to attack and Neji caught the dog in his teeth and bit down.

"No!"

Akamaru yelped, blood staining his white fur.

"Akamaru!" Kiba screamed. He grabbed his knife. "I'll kill that son of a-"

"No!" Naruto grabbed Kiba's arm and tried to hold him down. His other clones needed to help him. "Don't attack!" He turned to the dragon. "Neji! Neji, stop!"

Akamaru was still moving. He hadn't bitten down too far. He looked ready to finish it off.

Naruto ran from Kiba to the dragon and wrapped his arms around Neji's long neck. "Take it easy, Neji! It's alright!" He looked at the ninja gathered around ready to continue with the attack. "Guys, drop your weapons already! He won't attack if you show him you're not a threat." He turned back to Neji, calling to him in a firm voice. "Neji! Neji, stop! Neji, drop him! Put him down now!"

Neji looked down at Naruto, snarling.

"Put Akamaru down now. Put him down."

His voice had gotten through. Neji opened his mouth, dropping the dog. Akamaru lay on the ground whimpering and in pain, but it wasn't anything fatal. After a few stitches, he would be fine. Right now, Naruto's main concern was for Neji. He was still in attack mode, looking at each ninja as if they were pieces of barbequed meat.

Naruto started scratching Neji's neck with both hands, trying to soothe him. "It's ok, it's ok. Calm down, calm down. It's alright. Calm down, Neji. Chill."

Neji growled at the group surrounding them, showing his teeth. Naruto shushed him and kept scratching his scales in the way he liked. Neji started to calm down, looking away from the group to focus on Naruto instead.

"Easy, Neji. Easy…" Naruto reached up and scratched behind Neji's ear. Neji's knees wobbled and he sat down, purring. "See? Told you it's alright. See? Now chill out and relax. It's ok, it's ok. Easy does it, Neji."

Neji's eyes changed shape again. He seemed to have come back to his old self somewhat. No longer feeling threatened, Neji sat where he was and started making soft growling noises as Naruto scratched him.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and gave Neji a pat on the nose. Thank God that was over. If he hadn't acted when he did, Neji could and most likely would have killed Akamaru.

He turned away to look at the gathering of ninja, nearly all of whom looked scared out of their minds. "What?"

"What?!" squeaked Ino. "What the hell was that?"

"Naruto, what's going on?" asked Tenten. "Why did you go to it like that? Treat it like a puppy or something…"

"Yeah, and why did you call it 'Neji'?" added Lee, balanced on his one good leg.

Naruto gulped. He hoped explaining it to them would be easier than it was with Shikamaru. "Guys…" He gestured to the dragon. "This is Neji."

They stared at him blankly.

"Neji Hyuga."

Ino looked from the dragon to Naruto to the rest of the group. "Ok… he's insane."

"He must have been through a lot wherever he was taken."

"No, I mean it. This is really Neji. He was turned into a dragon and it's all my fault. Why wouldn't any of you guys listen to me? I was telling you that the whole time."

Shino shook his head. "Naruto, that is impossible. There's just no way."

"Yeah!" shouted Kiba who was kneeling over Akamaru's injured body. "There's no way in hell that thing is Neji. If it were, why'd he attack us like that and almost kill Akamaru?"

"Hey, you attacked him first!" Naruto shouted back. "And you grabbed me! He was only trying to defend himself and protect me. That's all."

"Ain't no way that thing is Neji! There's just no way."

"It is!"

"I don't believe you!" Kiba's loud voice caused Neji's eyes to flicker. Naruto went back to pat his snout to keep him as calm as he could.

"It is Neji. I'm telling you." Naruto kept his voice calm and quiet. "I accidentally caused him to get cursed and now he's stuck like this. And he can't talk so he couldn't tell you guys what was going on."

"Oh, how convenient." No one believed him.

Naruto looked around. Standing nearby under a tree was Shikamaru. He looked like he was trying to stay hidden until the fighting was over. He wanted no part of it. "Tell them, Shikamaru. You know. Tell them this is Neji."

"Uh…" Even after everything, Shikamaru had his doubts. It wasn't that he didn't believe that this was Neji. He just didn't think that it was Neji anymore. Right now, it was a dragon. It may have been Neji once, but now… That's what prevented Shikamaru from saying anything further and from aiding anyone in the battle. He was torn. He had no idea where Neji started and where the dragon ended. It was impossible to know which was dominate. After that attack, he wasn't sure of anything anymore. Neji had almost crippled Lee and nearly killed Akamaru. Would the real Neji do such a thing?

"Naruto why would you defend something that kidnapped you?" asked Tenten.

"He didn't kidnap me. I went with him because you guys were too busy attacking him to listen to me when I was telling you that it was Neji." Naruto groaned. This was impossible. "Haven't you guys wondered where Neji's been all this time? Hasn't anyone noticed that he's missing?"

Tenten glanced around thoughtfully at the others. "Come to think of it, I haven't seen him for a while. What about you, Lee?"

"No. It must have been about a week since the last time I made contact with him."

"I haven't seen him around the village either. I thought he had a mission or something," said Ino.

"He wouldn't leave without telling us and we would have seen him leave. Neji has been missing. How did I not notice?" Tenten was disappointed in herself for not noticing sooner. "But that still doesn't prove..."

"Alright then." Naruto looked at the teen crouched on the ground. "Kiba, come here."

"What are you nuts?"

"Just come here."

Kiba stood up but he was reluctant to move away from his canine partner and over to the enormous lizard. With some coaxing from Naruto, he moved. Inching closer and closer to where the dragon sat, Naruto keeping a hand on his snout. Naruto reached out with his hand for Kiba's.

"Give me your hand."

"You are crazy if you think-"

"Just do it, Kiba. Trust me." Naruto gestured for Kiba to place his hand on the dragon's snout. As soon as Kiba moved towards the dragon, Neji's eyes narrowed and he growled at him. "No, no. It's ok, Neji. It's just Kiba. You know him. Remember?"

Very slowly, Kiba reached toward the dragon with his right hand. Naruto wasn't going to let him off that easy. Kiba refused to touch the large beast, but he held out his hand for the dragon to sniff. Neji sniffed his open palm and his eyes dilated again, returning to his old self again. He knew now that Kiba wasn't a threat but a friend. Remembering this, he allowed Kiba to come closer without growling a warning.

"See? It's ok. He's fine." Naruto pulled on Kiba's sleeve. "Come here."

"I'm not getting any closer to that thing without a knife."

"That thing is Neji and he's our friend, for crying out loud." He pulled Kiba closer. "Come on. Get his scent."

"What?!"

"You're good at scents, aren't you? Give Neji a sniff and tell me that's not him."

"Naruto-"

"You've got to be able to tell, now sniff! Get his scent. I'm telling you that's Neji. You'll know for sure once you get his scent. Come on, please, Kiba."

Rolling his eyes, Kiba stopped struggling and let Naruto push him into the dragon. Kiba held his head over the dragon's snout and took a whiff of its scales. So far it smelled like a lizard. He sniffed up and down the dragon's face and neck. It smelt of dirt and water and sulfur. It also smelt faintly of cattle and trees and apples. A little of Naruto's scent had rubbed off as well. It had a faint metallic scent on it as well from the chains it was attacked with earlier. The dragon lowered its head for Kiba to get a good whiff of his mane as well. As he sniffed, Kiba came across a familiar scent. He inhaled the mane deeply, making sure there was no mistaking it. It smelled like the Leaf Village and of sweat. It smelled like...

Kiba pulled away, staring into the dragon's Hyuga eyes in complete disbelief. "Neji?"

The dragon nodded, giving a low moan of shame.

Kiba jumped back, nearly falling over. "Neji?!" He looked around at the others, pointing at the creature covered in scales. "It- it's Neji!"

"Are you sure?" asked Ino.

"There's no mistaking that scent. It's faint but it's definitely Neji's. And it's not something that was rubbed off and marked. That _is_ Neji!"

"No way!" Ino looked the dragon up and down. "How is that even possible?"

"Wait a minute!" Tenten stepped forward looking at the dragon and then at Naruto. "This wouldn't have anything to do with that stupid cursed Dragon's Pearl thing you two found in that shrine, would it? The one all the villagers were telling stories about?"

"That's the one," said Naruto. "Yeah, that's what cursed him in the first place..." He looked down guiltily. "Well, actually... It's really all my fault. I knocked it over and Neji caught it and because he touched it, he got the curse. Now he can't talk or use jutsu or anything."

Tenten stood in front of the dragon, staring into his eyes with pity and understanding. "Is that why you were acting so weird when we got back to the village? You were cursed and turning into this?"

Neji nodded his head.

Tenten rubbed the side of his face with her open hand. "Aw, you poor thing..." Tenten then turned around and slapped Naruto's shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Ow! What?!"

"Getting him cursed like that! What were you thinking?!"

"I wasn't!"

"Oh, no shock there!"

"No, what I mean is... I just... Rah! Help me out here, someone!"

"I think it was the result of Naruto's carelessness once again," said Shino. "He must have heard a ghost story and once again flipped out, resulting in Neji having to calm him down. But he wouldn't normally take Naruto to a shrine in the middle of the night... so either this happened during the day... or more likely, it was done at night and Naruto had woken Neji out of a sound sleep and wouldn't stop his pestering until Neji complied. He was dealing with an annoyance late at night. Neither one of them were thinking straight at that time."

As blunt as he was being, Shino was correct. It was both their faults. Naruto had knocked over the Dragon's Pearl which wouldn't have happened if Neji hadn't brought him inside in the first place and that wouldn't have happened if Naruto hadn't annoyed Neji late at night when he was trying to sleep. This was the end result.

"So now what do we do? Neji can't stay this way."

"I know, I know. Which is why we went on a mission to find a cure." Naruto pointed to Shikamaru. "I found a paper that Shikamaru has to translate and that should be the cure. Or at least lead us to one. That's where we've been all week. You know, after he was chased out."

"We're sorry but it's not like we could tell that he was... I mean look at him!"

Neji hung his head in shame.

"But there's something I still don't get," said Ino. "If that's really Neji, then why did he attack us like that?"

"I told you, you guys attacked him first. You also grabbed me and he was only trying to protect me."

"Still, what he did to Akamaru... and the way he was acting."

"Well..." Naruto began. "It might have been because he's been a dragon for about a week now or maybe longer, he's-"

"It doesn't matter the reason," Shikamaru interrupted. "What's important is getting him back to normal. And that's that, right?"

Shino didn't say anything, but Shikamaru was acting oddly, almost as if he were trying to keep something a secret from the rest of the group. He chose to stay quiet and watch as he preferred to do most of the time.

Naruto stroked Neji's head. "We should tell Grandma about this. She was the last one to see you before... all this. She took a look at your arm when you were changing. We should at least tell her what's going on and that you're back."

"But the others will attack him if he tries to enter the village," said Lee. "Just like we did."

"He's right. They may not understand."

"Then you guys get Grandma Tsunade and bring her over here. Once she sees that it's Neji, she'll call off the attack on him."

"It's worth a shot." Ino and Tenten returned to the village as fast as they could.

In the meantime, Kiba was trying to see to Akamaru's wounds. He was still in need of medical attention. Shino came over to help his teammate.

"It may not make a difference," said Shikamaru quietly to Naruto.

"What do you mean? All we have to do is explain and-"

"It may not be that simple, Naruto. I'm telling you..."

Neji suddenly gave a loud roar and stood over Naruto, shielding him from harm. His head was turned up toward the trees and his eyes had narrowed again.

"Neji, what's going on?"

He didn't answer. Only growled. Then a kunai bounced off his horn and he roared again, breathing fire over his head at his attacker. A chain wove around his neck and Neji roared again lighting up the chain in red flame.

"Naruto, move!" Shikamaru grabbed him and dragged him away from the dragon as more knives came their way from different directions.

Suddenly, Neji was surrounded by a dozen ninja and was being attacked from different sides. He roared, fighting back.

"Get its mouth!"

"And its legs, too!"

Naruto pushed Shikamaru away. "No, stop! Don't hurt him! It's only Neji!"

"Shikamaru, keep him back! Take him to the village!"

He hesitated.

"Follow orders, Shikamaru!"

Naruto rounded on him. "Shikamaru, stop them! Tell them it's Neji!"

Again he hesitated. He didn't know what to do. He was having a hard time thinking. He was usually able to come up with five solutions at once to any given problem but for some reason his mind just wasn't working. He froze, unable to think or act.

"Shikamaru!"

"Shikamaru!"

The dragon roared, slashing at the ninja on the ground. A chain wrapped around his jaws and clamped them shut. Another chain found its way to his back legs and his feet were pulled out from under him. More chains followed and Neji was brought to his stomach. The ninja worked quickly to secure him and make sure he wasn't going to be getting up again.

"I said leave him alone!" Naruto pushed everyone out of his way and tried to cut the chains with his kunai. "Get off him!"

A ninja grabbed him from behind. "Take him back to the village!"

"Stop it!" Naruto kicked and thrashed. "Don't hurt him!"

Neji was tied down and helpless. Still, he struggled when he saw that Naruto was also being attacked. The ninja pulled out every weapon they had and pounced on him.

"No! Neji! Leave him alone!" Naruto kept thrashing. "Shikamaru, help!"

Shikamaru didn't move. He did nothing. Even when he saw Naruto being restrained and watched Neji wriggle around like a caged animal, he remained a bystander. He remained rooted to the spot.

"Neji! Neji!" Naruto was carried off kicking and screaming, his hands bound by thick cord and held down by three other ninja. "Stop it! Why are you just standing there?! Help him! Shikamaru!"

He did nothing. This was the one problem he couldn't see a solution to. He stood by and did nothing to help either party. Shikamaru did nothing at all.

* * *

Please review ^-^


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**:

The dragon was captured and contained in an special underground cell used only for dangerous spies and uncontrollable animals. Naruto had been led away to the hospital and was told nothing about what their intentions were or what was to become of the dragon. In the meantime, the Hokage stood in her office, questioning the ninja present at the time. So far, that consisted of Shikamaru and the Jonin who aided in the dragon's capture. Lee, Tenten and the others weren't questioned but asked to stay alert should something happen.

"So far the lizard is contained," said one of the ninja.

"Dragon," Shikamaru corrected under his breath.

"It was proven hostile. We managed to secure it. It would seem that no jutsu has any effect on it. Even our weapons wouldn't pierce its body. Those scales are tough and dense."

"Has anyone any idea who sent it?"

"No. And this creature doesn't seem to be able to talk. We tried questioning it but..."

"I see. Then it cannot tell us the whereabouts of the Kazekage or who's involved in these attacks."

"No, ma'am."

Tsunade sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I see... Then we really have no options." She looked back at the men. "What of Naruto?"

"We sent him to the hospital to be checked out as you said. He must have suffered through some trauma. While we were rescuing him, he kept fighting back. Maybe he didn't know who we were for a second or maybe he was on edge. I'm not sure but he must have witnessed some horrors with that beast."

"I see. But he was able to put up a struggle so he couldn't have been hurt too badly. Did anyone try to question him on where he was taken?"

"No, ma'am. He was practically in hysterics."

"Alright. Then our next step should be to question him when he's calmed down. We'll need to see to that beast, too, when we get the chance. Find out who sent it here and what its master is planning..."

Shikamaru couldn't stand by in silence any longer. He had to make his vice heard. "Excuse me, Lady Tsunade."

"Yes?"

"Uh... I have some information you may want to hear about the dragon you captured. You see, Naruto had spoken with me before its capture and told me a few important details."

"Well, then out with it. What do you know?"

That was the question. Shikamaru wasn't sure he knew anything. Nothing about this made any sense. But he had to do his best.

"You see... that dragon creature that was captured..." He gulped. "It's not a summoned beast at all. It's... Neji Hyuga."

Tsunade was silent for a moment as if waiting for the punchline. "I beg your pardon?"

"Naruto informed me that Neji was placed under some sort of curse earlier in the week and the end result is this transformation. Neji is that dragon. That's why Naruto behaved the way that he did. He was trying to warn us and stop us from attacking him."

"That's ridiculous," said one of the Jonin.

"Regardless, go on," she told him.

Shikamaru continued. "Naruto said that Neji was slowly changing into a dragon. He told me that he had brought Neji to you before when he had scales on his arm. You were looking into it, he said."

Tsunade nodded after a moment. "That's right. He did have an odd pattern on his arm I couldn't identify. I said I would look into it but I had forgotten all about it with everything going on recently. Not to mention, none of the medical jutsu I used had any effect on the infected area."

"That's because jutsu doesn't work on dragons," Shikamaru explained. "All the reports confirmed that when they were trying to take it down. No jutsu had any effect."

"I see... That does make sense..." Tsunade seemed to believe his story.

"If any of that were true," said one of the Jonin, "then why did it attack us like that? If it really were Neji, then he wouldn't attack an ally. He would have told us-"

"Weren't you listening? He can't talk. Neji lost his ability to communicate. He couldn't have told us anything. Even you pointed that out in your report when you tried questioning him and he couldn't answer back."

"Still, he wouldn't have attacked us. He would know better. If he was trying to prove himself an ally then he wouldn't have made himself a threat. He fought back, that's all I know. Neji would have more sense than that."

"He ran away before so avoid a fight," said Shikamaru. "Back when we thought he was kidnapping Naruto. It turns out that they were helping each other. Naruto could talk for him and do things for him while he's trapping in that body."

"That may be, but that was a week ago. That doesn't excuse what happened an hour ago out there. Why'd he attack us then and not before?"

"Maybe because he... didn't know..." Shikamaru stopped there biting his lip. What he said next could condemn Neji. If he finished that sentence...

"What do you mean?" asked Tsunade. "Speak."

"I, uh..." Shikamaru didn't want to go on but he had little choice. When the Hokage asked, it was an order and no one could refuse her orders. There was a part in him that wanted him to continue just to know the truth. He needed more information. What if Tsunade could help after all? He felt like a tattletale, but he felt like it was something that had to be done. "I heard Naruto say that..."

"Yes..?" she prompted. "Go on."

"That... the longer Neji's like this, the more he'll become like a real dragon. So in other words... he may not remember being human.." Shikamaru saw the look of horror pass over her face and regretted telling her. "But we don't know for sure. It's only a theory."

Adding that didn't seem to help his case. Tsunade looked very worried. The troubled Hokage sat on the edge of her desk, looking down at her feet. She was contemplating something. Shikamaru was really starting to worry now. What was she thinking? What was she going to decide?

"Has this been confirmed?"

"Huh?"

Tsunade looked him in the eye. "Has this been confirmed?" she repeated. "Is there any evidence to support this theory? Could Neji be losing his humanity?"

"Well... Uh, he managed to recognize Naruto pretty well. And he knew how to get back to the village on his own." Then came the bad news. "Although... he didn't seem to know who I was at first. He did attack me unprovoked. But Naruto said that he was only doing that because he was being overprotective. I did have a knife out and I was arguing with Naruto a bit." He swallowed. "But then he did attack Kiba and didn't seem to know who he was either. And he could have killed Akamaru... He came close but he didn't. And they said that Akamaru was going to be ok. But..."

Tsunade held up her hand to silence him. "How did he contract this 'curse' exactly?"

"Lady Tsunade," said one of the men in the room. "You can't possibly be considering that any of this is real, can you?"

"Just because Naruto said it, doesn't make it true," added a second. "The boy didn't know what he was saying. That thing cannot be one of our Jonin."

She ignored these men, keeping her eyed fixed on Shikamaru's. "Shikamaru?" she prompted.

He sighed. Her tone left no room for argument. "Naruto said that he got it by touching a cursed object in a village that sent for their help."

"It wasn't a ninja village? And the object wasn't an artifact that may have been in shinobi possession?"

He answered honestly. "No. The people kept it in a shrine, he told me, and wouldn't let anyone touch it."

"I see." She looked at the floor again. "I see..."

Shikamaru took it as a bad sign, hearing her repeat that phrase so many times, over and over. He gulped. He had a bad feeling about this. Perhaps he should have kept his mouth shut.

"So..." Tsunade lifted her head. "He's been like this at least one week, is that correct? And he contracted this alleged curse through an object that didn't seem to be in the ownership of a ninja?"

"That's right."

She sighed and leaned back on the desk, shaking her head. The ninja in the room grew restless at her silence and body language. They began to look from one another back to her, nervously.

"Lady Tsunade..?" started one man. He was ignored.

"If that's the case, then there doesn't seem to be anything I can do. I couldn't cure him before, if this dragon really is Neji Hyuga. And if jutsu has no effect on him, then there really isn't anything that can be done."

"You actually believe him?" a Jonin sputtered. "My Lady, with all due respect, it's insane. The very idea of a curse such as-"

"There are curses in this world. You should know that. The less common of which boarder on the supernatural. Which just so happens to be this particular one." Tsunade sighed again, hanging her head down low. "I've never run into a supernatural curse before. They operate on a different set of laws. My talents are useless here. Even if I could do something it wouldn't matter, seeing how jutsu will not work on his dragon body."

For a long time, she was silent, thinking. She chewed on her lip and leaned back on the desk. She tapped her foot on the ground and she looked from the ceiling to the floor. Then at last, she looked at the boy standing in front of her.

"Did Naruto mention a cure to you? Did he say anything at all?"

Shikamaru answered. "He said that he spent all this week looking for one. He searched many lands and visited different villages, gathering clues and information."

"And did he find one?"

Shikamaru hesitated. As he stiffened, he felt the piece of paper crinkle against his chest under his Chunin vest. He thought about the words scrawled on the single yellow piece of paper and how little sense they made. He thought about the dragon attacking his friends and having to be restrained. He thought about what Naruto had told him about the mountain and about Gaara. He thought about the Leaf Village and all its people.

The paper felt like it was cutting into his chest. What should he do?

"Did he find a cure or not?" she asked again.

He decided to tell her the truth. What he felt was the truth at least.

"No."

"So Naruto has no idea how to cure him?"

"Correct."

"And no one else knows either. Is that right?"

Shikamaru swallowed hard before answering. "That's right."

"So there is no cure?"

"No, ma'am."

She sighed again. "I see." Again she said that and again it made everyone in the room uneasy. Tsunade shook her head, keeping her eyes on the floor. "Then... I guess we've done all we can." She gave her head a disappointed shake and sighed again. "Shikamaru."

"Y- yes, ma'am?"

"I have a very hard decision to make, but I have to make this call for the good of the village. It's for everyone's sakes, I want you to realize that."

"Yes, ma'am." He didn't like where this was going. Something in his gut told him it was bad news.

Tsunade sat on the edge of her desk looking very heartbroken. "Since there is no known cure and in light of what you've just told me, there's only one sensible thing to do at this point."

* * *

Naruto sat on a bench near the park. It was the same stone bench he had sat on multiple times. It was the same bench where he found Sakura after being joined together in the same squad and decided to disguise himself as Sasuke to get a little closer to her and find out how she felt about him. It was the same bench he had scraped his knee on when he tried to climb over the back when he saw Kakashi coming just before he could put his prank into action. It was where he sat down to eat his lunch by himself several times. The same bench he ate ice cream in the summer and where he ate sweets with Choji and Shikamaru. It was also where Neji had told him off several times in the past and where he could find him and the rest of Team Gai after a hard training exercise. It was where he had asked Neji to play a game of cards with him while he waited for Kakashi to show up. It was where Lee challenged Neji several times to a rematch. Where they just sat around and talked. It was also where Neji had shown him his arm for the first time. They stood right in front of this very bench. Granted it was across the street and they weren't sitting on it, but it was still the same bench. Now he sat here alone, worried about his friend.

The hospital released him fifteen minutes ago, finding nothing wrong with him. Thanks to Neji's protection, he barely had a scratch on him. He was in good health and there were no signs of trauma. Now he had nothing to do but sit and wait for Shikamaru to show up. He had no idea where they were keeping Neji and no one would speak to him about the incident. However, he was certain that Shikamaru would have some information to give him. Naruto planted himself on the bench and waited.

Finally Shikamaru showed up, standing by the bench looking Naruto's way. Naruto stood up when he saw him. "Shikamaru, there you are. So where's Neji? What's going on? Why won't anyone tell me what's happening?"

"Naruto..." he started slowly.

"Where is Neji?"

"He's... being kept in a secret location."

Naruto puffed out his cheeks for a moment. "Well, I guess that makes sense. Seeing a big dragon running around the village would scare a few people. I mean, did you see the way they reacted when those guys saw him? They probably did it for his own protection."

Was he really that clueless or just optimistic?

"But still, why won't they tell me where he is? I wanna see him."

Shikamaru avoided his eyes. "Naruto... We... I spoke with Lady Tsunade."

"That's great! And you told her that it's Neji, right?"

"Yeah, I told her."

"That's awesome!" Naruto looked delighted. "Now that she knows, she can tell everyone in the village to stop freaking out. This is good news."

"Naruto..." Shikamaru looked like he had a pain in his side. While he continued to avoid Naruto's eyes, he spoke to him as if they were discussing the end to a movie Naruto had not seen yet. "They decided that Neji's too dangerous."

"So that's why you're keeping him locked up? But she knows it's Neji, right? So what's the problem? I don't see..."

"Naruto." Shikamaru looked him in the eye for a moment then quickly looked away as he delivered the horrible news. "They decided to... kill Neji."

He didn't see the looked of horror pass over Naruto's face as he said this. Shikamaru kept his eyes on Naruto's jacket, refusing to look up.

"They're what?" Naruto's voice sounded far away.

"Lady Tsunade said that it would be best if he was executed. The way he is now is just-"

Shikamaru felt Naruto's hands on his vest, pulling him forward. The next thing he knew, Naruto was in his face, eyes blazing.

"No!" he shouted in his face. "No, I don't accept that! You told her it was Neji, right? You told her, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did, but-"

"But what?! She would never agree to sacrifice Neji if she knew the truth! Stop lying to me! She can't really be considering doing that to him! What did you tell her?!"

"I told her the truth. I told her what you told me." Shikamaru kept his voice calm. He put his hands on Naruto's trying to get him to loosen his grip. "It's her decision."

"Why the hell would she say to do that?!"

"I already told you, it's because he's become too dangerous. She can't let some beast..."

"But it's Neji!"

"No, it's not! Not anymore!" Shikamaru shouted back. "Naruto, he attacked his friends, he almost killed Akamaru! He almost crippled Lee!"

"You guys attacked him first! He was protecting me and defending himself, that's all!"

"Naruto, listen to me. It's not Neji anymore. It's a dragon."

"But it's still Neji!" Naruto cried. "He can be both! He may look like a dragon but it's still Neji on the inside. You know this! You have to!"

Shikamaru pushed him back. "What about what you told me before? Huh? About how the longer Neji's like this, the more he'll become a real dragon? He's having trouble remembering who we are. He attacked us."

"But I can calm him down. He still knows who I am."

"And how long before that changes?" Shikamaru demanded. "He's already been like this for at least a week. He's having difficulty already. How much longer before he's like Gaara? Pretty soon, he won't know who you are anymore either."

"So you'll kill him for that?! How is that fair?"

"Lady Tsunade says that it's the best we can do for him. We should kill him now while there's still a trace left inside him. He should die while he still knows who he is." Shikamaru looked at the fury in Naruto's eyes. He could see the exact moment Naruto's heart plummeted. "It's a mercy killing."

"Mercy?" Naruto clenched his fists. His fists were balled so tightly his fingernails started to cut into his flesh. "What's so merciful about that? Killing an ally... a friend, just because they're different. It's no different than abandoning him. He needs help."

"And we're helping him..."

"No, you're not! You're turning your back on him is what you're doing!" Naruto wanted to punch Shikamaru in the face and go to where Neji was and help him escape. But he had no idea where he was being held. How could Shikamaru be doing this? How could he go along with something so horrible? "He doesn't have to die. If she's so worried about him getting worse, then we'll tell her about the cure. Once we cure him, everything will be ok. No one has to die. It'll be fine."

"No, Naruto." Shikamaru felt the pain in his chest again. The paper felt so sharp. "There is no cure."

"What are you talking about? That paper I gave you..."

"I can't figure it out," Shikamaru said loudly. He took in a deep breath. "I can't figure it out. Therefore there is no cure."

Naruto would not accept that either. "But all you have to do is solve it and it'll-"

"Don't you understand?! I said I can't solve it!" Shikamaru was more angry at himself than he was with Naruto's inability to face reality. "This thing is impossible! I'm not even sure it is a riddle. It could just be some poem you found and mistook for the real thing. You could have grabbed the wrong thing, Naruto. I don't think it's a cure. It's like a riddle in a riddle wrapped in more riddles. We may be over-thinking it. Maybe there's nothing to solve." He managed to calm himself before he could lose his temper and rip up the paper stabbing him in the chest. "The fact of the matter is that... without a cure, Neji's going to get worse. Once he passes the point of no return, he'll be just like Gaara. Tsunade wants to stop it before it gets to that point. As he is right now, he's a threat to everyone. She has to do what's best for the village and its people. That's what she told me."

Naruto said nothing and stared at him.

"She wants to end his suffering. She doesn't want to do this. It's hard for her, too, but she said she didn't have a choice. She wants to have it done while he still remembers who he is. She said he would want that."

"What he wants..?" Naruto's voice trembled. "How does she know what he wants? He wants to live and be cured, that's what he wants! He told me that he wanted to change back! He was relying on me to help him! I promised him that I would find a way to change him back! I promised! I gave him my word!"

Shikamaru watched him quietly. He knew Naruto was upset. It was understandable. He didn't want this either, but the decision wasn't his to make. He did feel guilty about not telling Tsunade about the piece of paper, but he truly believed that Neji was no longer there. What remained was a monster. The Neji he knew was gone. There was nothing they could do for him now.

"The way you're talking... it's like putting down some sick dog or something..." Naruto's voice was shaking again. "It's not a rabid dog! It's Neji! He's our friend! Sure, there are times he gets on my nerves and I used to think he was a real jerk but... But he's our friend! He's been there for us when we needed him! He's helped us out. Now we're just giving up? We're just going to kill him? I can't accept that! I won't! Why?! Why is that an answer? Kill him because he's like this? So what if he's a dragon? He's still Neji and he's still our friend!"

"No, he's not." Shikamaru's voice was gravely serious. He truly believed that Neji was no longer there. "It's not Neji anymore. That dragon is not the Neji we know anymore. It's not, Naruto."

Naruto shook his head, his eyes burning into Shikamaru's. His stomach was twisted in knots. He just wanted Shikamaru to understand. Why had he given up? Why couldn't he see that it was Neji? "After everything that's happened... everything we've been through..." Naruto's eyes started to burn. "I took him to that village and they gave us a map. I helped him eat when he couldn't. I stayed outside with him, even when I was given a bed to sleep in just so he wouldn't be alone. Believe me, I know how painful that feeling is. I didn't want him to feel abandoned."

He remembered his first night in that dark cave by the water and their second night in Seji's backyard. He remembered how they comforted each other and kept each other warm.

"He made a fire for me. He wrapped his tail around me so I wouldn't be cold when he slept outside. We gathered food together. He carried me to all the villages. He was there for me when I needed him. When we were attacked, he protected me. We fought together. We helped each other..."

Naruto remembered everything they had been through together this past week. How he had seen Neji cry for the first time, even though he would deny it. How they traveled together for hours and days. How he got stuck in the mud and Naruto helped get him free during the storm. How Neji caught and cooked food for him to eat. How they shared and looked after one another. How they went hungry when food was scarce.

"While we were gone, he couldn't talk and he was so big. I didn't have any supplies and no money. We were totally unprepared. Traveling makes everything harder, but not having anything but your clothes on your back makes it even harder. We helped each other out. We went hungry together and hunted together. We had no one else and nothing else. It was hard! But we did it together. We made it all the way to the village where the Dragon Priestess was supposed to live. We looked through the books, most of them were in Chinese because she was Chinese and then we find that paper and you tell me it's worthless..." He shook his head again. "He still stood by me. We were there for each other. He protected me and helped me."

The look in his eyes, the movement of his body as he carried him on their journey, the heat from his fire. The way he wrapped his tail around him to keep him warm. The way he took flight and how happy and free he was. The promise he made to him. The pain in his eyes when told there was no hope.

It was still Neji. He was still a dear friend.

"Why should he have to die for my mistake?"

Shikamaru blinked. Something wet hit the ground where Naruto stood. Naruto wiped his face on the back of his sleeve. He was crying.

"It's my fault..." Naruto sniffled into his arm. "If I hadn't been such an idiot and told him to go into that stupid shrine with me... If I hadn't knocked over that Dragon's Pearl in the first place... It's all my fault. Why should he have to die because of me? He doesn't deserve that."

No, he didn't. Shikamaru knew this, but he couldn't change what had already been set into motion. Neji was scheduled to be put down that very day. There was no going back now. It was heartbreaking news but it had to be done.

Shikamaru let Naruto get out his emotions in silence. When Naruto had finished crying into his sleeve and wiped away the last of his tears, Shikamaru put a hand on his shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"I'm sorry," he said. "But there's nothing we can do. Since we can't change him back, and we know he's going to get worse, this is the best we can do for him. I know you don't like it. I don't either but..."

"But you're giving up. You're turning your back on him."

"You know I'm-"

"My sensei always taught me that those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Naruto pushed Shikamaru away. "What you're doing right now is no different. Sacrificing for the good of the village? Putting him down because he would rather die than live as a dragon? Neji never told you that so how do you know what he would want? I don't care if all you see is what's on the outside. He's still Neji. It's both. It's Neji and a dragon. So the way I see it, you're murdering a friend."

Naruto wasn't making this any easier. Shikamaru was already crushed about this whole decision and about his inability to see that large reptile as his friend. Naruto telling him off wasn't making him feel any better about what was to come. It had to be done.

"Naruto..." He wanted to say something, but he knew no matter what he said, Naruto would never forgive him.

The blond ninja faced away and sat on the bench with his back turned, refusing to look at his traitorous friend.

Sighing, Shikamaru turned away and started walking. There was nothing more he could say. Nothing would change this. Nothing would stop the pain stabbing him in the chest.

* * *

The underground passage was cold and smelt of wet dirt. The earth walls had been carefully sculpted into a long corridor, leading to many empty cells. Only one cell was occupied and that was the one on the far end to the right. Standing in front of the cell were two men, both Jonin. They were in the middle of their own conversation when Shikamaru approached them. He had his eyes down, looking at the ground under his feet.

"You doing ok, Shikamaru?" one of the men asked him.

"Yeah," he lied. He tried to shake off the pain in his chest and be as professional as he could. He couldn't let his feelings get in the way of important matters set into motion by his superior. "So he's in there?"

"Yup, all chained up. It's not going anywhere." The Jonin banged on the cell doors with his hand as if to prove his point.

"How are we going to do this?"

"Well, since jutsu isn't going to work and weapons seem to bounce off..." The man picked up a long sword. "We figured it would be best if we jabbed this into its eyes, where it's not protected, and pierce the brain that way. That should kill it."

"We figured that sword would be long enough to reach that far."

Shikamaru gulped. Just imagining the action they described was making his stomach turn.

"Orders are orders." The Jonin moved towards the cell door. "Let's do this and get it over with."

"Wait!" Shikamaru said it before he could stop himself.

The two men turned. "Yeah?"

Shikamaru hesitated. He knew what had to be done and yet he didn't want to go through with it. He couldn't stand the thought of these men murdering Neji right in front of him like a lamb to slaughter. He didn't want them to do it, but he knew they had to. It was the Hokage's orders and they couldn't disobey.

Impatient, they started to open the cell. Shikamaru reached up and held onto the handle of the sword.

"I'll do it," he told them.

The two men exchanged looks. Then they handed him the weapon. "Be my guest. Go for it."

"Are you ok with this? We could do it."

"No." Shikamaru held the sword in his hands, looking down at the sheathed blade. It started to rattle in his unsteady hands. He gripped it tighter. "If that was ever Neji... " he started. "... he's my friend. I should be the one to do it."

The second Jonin sighed, patting him on the shoulder. "Brave kid... Sorry about all this."

"I know it has to be done."

The first Jonin patted him on the shoulder, roughly. "Have at it. But if you find you can't do it..."

"We'll let you be," interrupted the other. "We'll be down here." He started to pull his partner along.

"Shout if you need anything."

"Good luck."

The two left Shikamaru to himself and his own devices. He tried to act indifferent, but he wasn't. He really didn't want to do this. But he felt better doing it himself than having those men do it for him.

Shikamaru opened the cell door. It squeaked loudly as it opened and then clanged shut behind him. Shikamaru stepped into the dark cell. In the orange light of the lantern in the hallway, he could see the creature laying on the ground in front of him. He was chained heavily and bolted to the ground with heavy metal plates and guards. His mouth was clamped shut with multiple chains and leather belts. The dragon's limbs were bound and held in place by even more restraints. It couldn't move even if its life depended on it; which it did.

He approached the dragon, feeling the heat it gave off on his legs and exposed toes. The breath oozing from its nostrils was hot like the heat from a fire. As he got closer, the dragon's eyes opened and fell on him. Shikamaru stopped where he stood, looking into those eyes. Those big reptilian eyes, mimicking the Hyuga's shade of white.

He took in a deep breath. He thought seeing this animal would make it easier but it didn't. Even though it looked nothing like the Neji he knew, he still felt like he was taking the life of a friend.

Shikamaru shook his head, shutting his eyes tight. He had to eliminate that idea. No matter what, this creature was not Neji. He had to understand that. If it was, Tsunade would never have ordered them to do this. It wasn't Neji. It wasn't.

Taking in another breath, Shikamaru drew closer, inch by inch. The dragon's eyes were upon him every step of the way. Shikamaru took one look at those eyes and tripped over the chains bolted to the ground. He fell forward onto the dragon's neck. He quickly pushed himself off and sat on his heels, looking at the creature. The dragon's eyes held no malice. It only stared at him. Shikamaru looked away, trying to calm himself, only to look back again a minute later.

"Neji..?" he asked softly.

The dragon blinked, watching him.

This wasn't as easy as he had hoped. It was a dragon. It wasn't human. It wasn't Neji. But the way it behaved... No, that wasn't Neji at all. Neji would never be openly affectionate to Naruto. He would never attack his friends. That wasn't him. And when those eyes contracted, that was definitely not him. This beast was just a dragon. It was not his friend. It wasn't Neji. He couldn't be.

But it had to. It had transformed in front of Naruto and spent all this time with him. According to Naruto, it was beyond the shadow of a doubt Neji. Naruto was adamant about that truth.

No matter what, Shikamaru couldn't see it as 'truth'. No matter what, he couldn't see Neji in this creature.

Or maybe he wouldn't allow himself to see it as Neji. As long as he saw it as a monster, he could kill it. He wasn't killing a friend. He was destroying an enemy. He had to keep telling himself that. But every time he looked into those eyes, he had doubt.

"Neji..." he started again. The dragon stared at him quietly. "I don't know if you're in there or not but..."

It wasn't Neji. It wasn't Neji. It couldn't be. It's not.

No matter how many times he repeated this to himself, he couldn't believe it. His heart still held doubt.

Pushing it down, he went on. "I don't know if anyone's told you this but... The Hokage has decided that it's best for everyone if... if we ended your suffering. After the attack outside the gate and how you seem to be fluctuating between dragon and yourself... It's been decided that we have to put you down."

The dragon didn't do anything but stare. Shikamaru started to wonder if it even knew what he was saying.

"The Hokage has ordered your death. I'm sorry." He looked down at the sword in his hands. "I'm sorry... but I'm going to have to kill you."

The dragon continued to stare at him.

Shikamaru freed the sword from its sheath with a screech. The dragon's eyes fell on the sharp blade, studying its shape. Tossing the sheath aside, Shikamaru knelt over the dragon, holding the sword in a downward position. The dragon gave a moan. Shikamaru couldn't tell if it was one of despair or of protest. He ignored the sound and held the sword up, taking aim at the dragon's eye.

As he took aim, he saw the tip of the sword reflected in the dragon's eye. He could see his reflection in both the sword and the eye. Shikamaru felt the pain in his chest again. "Don't look at me like that!" he cried. "You think I want to do this?"

The dragon moaned again, pleading with its eyes. It looked frightened and sad. Its eyes looked moist, glistening in the light from the lantern. Those eyes looked just like...

"It's not Neji!" Shikamaru shut his eyes and started repeating to himself over and over again. "It's not Neji. It's not him. It's not Neji!"

He opened his eyes and saw the dragon looking up at him again. Its eyes were still pleading.

"It's not Neji. It's not Neji anymore. It's not."

The eyes bored into him, pleading with him, frantic. It knew it was on the verge of death and tried hard to convey a message to its executioner. The more Shikamaru looked into those eyes, the more he thought he understood the message. The look in its eyes seemed to be pleading 'I'm here'.

Shikamaru shut his eyes again. The longer he waited, the harder it would become. He had to do this now. It was a direct order. It had to be done. It was for the best.

The sword in his hand began to rattle. His hands were shaking.

"It's not Neji. It's not Neji!" he repeated to himself. "It's not Neji. It's a dragon now. It's not Neji anymore. It's a dragon."

"_He can be both!_" he remembered Naruto shouting at him before. "_Neji's still in there. So what if he looks like a dragon? It's still Neji!_"

Shikamaru tried to shake it from his mind. "It doesn't matter." The paper pressing against his chest sliced into him like a knife. "I can't solve that stupid riddle. I'm not even sure it is a riddle. The thing makes no sense at all. A riddle's supposed to have an answer and this thing doesn't!"

He looked down at the dragon again. It was still pleading with him.

Shikamaru saw in those eyes so many memories. So many missions, so many good times. He remembered their assignment to retrieve Sasuke a few years ago and how close Neji came to death. He remembered his vow never to fail another mission and never to let a friend die if he could help it. He felt that their failure was all his fault. Neji's condition was in someway his doing. He wanted to protect his friends and all those dear to him. After losing his sensei, Shikamaru had taken his final words to heart. He wanted now more than ever to preserve life and protect those important to him and the future of the village.

Now here he was, about to kill a dear friend. All for what?

Maybe if he had told Tsunade about the paper, she wouldn't have sentenced Neji to death. He was too blind to see this dragon as Neji. No matter what, he couldn't allow himself to see it as his friend. He didn't want that guilt on him as well. No matter what, it was a dragon now. It wasn't Neji. Even if Naruto said he could be both.

"I'm sorry." Shikamaru gripped the sword tightly around the handle with both hands. "I'm sorry." He hovered it over the dragon's eyes. "I'm sorry." The dragon gave him one final look and accepted its fate, closing its eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry!"

Sorry for killing a friend. Sorry for letting everyone down. Sorry for not being able to see this thing as Neji. Sorry for making Naruto hate him. Sorry for not speaking sooner. Sorry for not being able to solve the riddle cutting into his chest.

He forced the sword down. The tip rang against the chains, missing the dragon.

The dragon opened its eyes and looked at the teen sitting beside him. He had missed on purpose.

Shikamaru's eyes were wide, staring at something Neji could not see. He propped himself up on the sword, the tip stuck in the ground where it had succeeded in slicing through one of the chains binding the dragon's neck. Shikamaru's breathing was shaking, as if someone had just doused him in ice water.

"It can be both..." he whispered.

Neji snorted, wanting to know more.

Shikamaru cast the sword aside and reached into his vest, pulling out the yellow paper. "It can be both," he repeated, looking it over. He started chuckling. "How could I be so stupid?"

The chains started to loosen. Neji tried to turn his head to look. Shikamaru had moved away. Neji felt his chains getting looser. He could move his limbs again. He wagged his tail. Neji lifted his head and managed to pull his binds free from the ground. The metal plates fell apart like cardboard. He gave his head a shake, able to move once more.

Shikamaru was running to the cell door with the paper in his hand. "I have to find Naruto!" He ran from the cell, letting the dragon choose for itself what move to make next.

The dragon knew one thing: follow Shikamaru, find Naruto. And he desperately wanted to see him.

Shikamaru ran past the two Jonin at the end of the corridor and up the the stairs clutching the paper in his fist.

"What's gotten into him?" asked one of the men.

"Aw, leave him be," said the other. "The poor kid just had to off his friend."

"Come on, you don't really believe that thing was once one of us, do you?"

"The way the Hokage was acting..."

"Come on, there's just no way that huge, ugly..." He stopped. "Did it just get hotter all of a sudden?"

A hot wind blew from the end of the hall and the Jonin turned. The dragon stood at the end of the corridor, snarling at them. With a roar, it charged, blowing out a ball of fire. The two men jumped aside to opposite walls as the dragon pushed past them and up the stairs and disappear.

* * *

Run, Neji! Run!

What do you think Shikamaru found out? What's the cure?

Please review! ^-^


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21:**

Naruto sat on the stone bench, his head in his hands. He couldn't stop dwelling on what he had just learned. Between wallowing and rage, Naruto couldn't bring himself to come up with a plan to rescue Neji. He wanted so much to save him, but he couldn't think of anything that would help. He was still in shock that Shikamaru would go through with something so horrible. He never thought this would happen.

Their time together had been difficult, but Naruto actually had fun traveling with Neji all this while. It was a relief not being yelled at every few minutes for acting like a child or for doing what he wanted while on missions. He liked having a dragon around to protect him and keep him company, but he knew Neji wanted to be cured and return to his old life. That's what their journey was about. That was their priority. However, Naruto soon discovered that they had actually bonded during their travels. He didn't mind having Neji around and no longer thought of him as a stuck-up genius who didn't know how to play to save his life and took everything way too seriously. Now he could see that Neji really did know how to play and have fun.

He had seen Neji chase butterflies and birds. He had heard Neji purr and seen him laugh and have a great time. He saw how caring Neji could be and how vulnerable he could be as well. He saw a different side to Neji he never thought possible.

The more he thought about it, the more he wondered if that was really Neji. Was that him or the dragon in him coming out? Maybe that was how Neji behaved when he wasn't under stress or the watchful eyes of his superiors.

During their journey, Naruto had seen Neji change little by little when he noticed it. Now he was beginning to wonder if it was all his fault Neji was changing so rapidly. He was the one who encouraged Neji to use his talents as a dragon. The more he used his powers, the more he seemed to slip away. After flying at the clearing, Neji seemed more free. Perhaps letting go of his cares and worries made him also forget his time as a human. The freer he became, the more he seemed to disappear. Naruto was afraid that his encouragement was making Neji change faster. He was already starting to forget his friends from the look of things.

Yet he remembered Naruto and was able to calm down when he was near. Shikamaru said it was only a matter of time before Neji couldn't recognize him either. He would forget himself all together. What he wanted to know was why Neji still remembered him. Was it because they had bonded? Maybe it was because he remained by Neji's side all this while. He hadn't seen Lee or Tenten or the others in quite some time. Maybe that was why he seemed to be slipping away. He wasn't near them.

Maybe that was why Gaara had no idea who he was either. Who knew how long he had spent isolated in that mountain? Gaara spent his transformation all alone. Neji at least had Naruto with him. Gaara had no one so he must have changed more rapidly. It was possible that Neji remained as he was for so long because he was near someone familiar. He had friends with him, slowing his transformation.

Naruto frowned. "He's been changing all this time and I never noticed? What if it started sooner? I can't tell what's Neji and what isn't. Is it that when he's happy, he's a dragon and when he's miserable, he's Neji? No, I'm sure Neji has emotions that aren't all of rage and a bad attitude. But still... What about the things I haven't noticed? Am I really that clueless?"

Neji was going to be killed because of his curse. He wouldn't have gotten this curse if he hadn't touched the Dragon's Pearl. Which never would have happened if Naruto hadn't gone into the shrine; all because of some silly ghost story.

"It's all my fault. Neji's going to die and it's all because of me." The guilt almost made him start crying again. He had tried so hard to help Neji. He had worked all this time for a cure and this was where they ended up. All their efforts were worthless. They both journeyed so far and worked so hard only to have Neji die. "What the hell was the point? We did all this for nothing! He doesn't deserve to die because of me."

Naruto saw the sad downcast eyes of Neji in his mind and remembered their night in the cave together when Neji had looked so hopeless and scared. He could only imagine what Neji was going through right now, chained up like a dangerous animal. The look in his eyes just before he died, possibly wondering why Naruto hadn't kept his word. Wondering why Naruto allowed this to happen. He was asked to trust him and put his faith in him. All for this. Was his word worth so little? Did Neji put his faith in the wrong person? If only Naruto had done more. If only he had tried harder and taken a different path. If only he hadn't gone into that shrine with Neji. If only he had done as he was told and left when he did. If only he had done better, Neji wouldn't be put to death for his foolish mistake. For his carelessness.

"I'm sorry." It was all his fault. He should have been more attentive. He should have tried harder. He should have done so many things different. Neji didn't deserve this. "I'm sorry, Neji. I'm sorry."

"Naruto!"

He looked up and saw Shikamaru running towards him, waving his arm. Naruto stood up from the bench and turned his back on him.

"Naruto!" Shikamaru's voice was at his back. He was breathing heavily. He must have run this entire way. "Naruto, listen to me."

"Why should I?" Naruto growled. "Putting orders before friends? I can't believe you would actually stoop to killing a friend just because-"

"I didn't do it." Shikamaru saw Naruto's shoulders stiffen. "I didn't kill him. Neji's still alive. I let him go."

Naruto threw his arms around Shikamaru, nearly knocking him over. Then he pulled away, jumping up and down, laughing and slapping him hard on the shoulder.

"I knew it!" he laughed. "I knew you couldn't go through with it! I knew you'd see that it was still him. I knew you wouldn't kill a friend. You had me worried there for a minute. Cutting it close, huh? I was about to slug you."

"Naruto, shut up and listen." Shikamaru held up the piece of paper. "I think I figured it out."

"What, the riddle? I thought you said it didn't give you an answer."

"It doesn't." Shikamaru smoothed out the paper on his leg and held it up for Naruto to see. "Normally a riddle only has one answer. This one has two and they're both right. The riddle was a riddle in and of itself. That's why I couldn't solve it. I was looking for only one answer, but it can be both, just like you said."

"So what's it mean? What's the answer? Or answers?"

Shikamaru pointed. "Right here where it says Dragon's Pearl... I think it means both. A pearl as in the real thing or as in moon."

"Ok... so it has to do with nighttime or something?"

"I was more interested in this part down here. Where it says dragon scales. It could mean music or the real thing. But there's something else I didn't realize until you mentioned that the Dragon Priestess was Chinese. Naruto, what was the name of the mountain you said you found Gaara at?"

"Oh, um... Yáo lán Mountain."

"That's what I thought. And she was Chinese..."

"So what?" Naruto didn't understand any of this.

"Naruto, it turns out that Yáo lán means 'a cradlesong' in Chinese."

"Ah, of course... And that would mean...?"

Shikamaru knew it was wasted on Naruto. He had bouts of genius but he was still an idiot. "Cradlesong is actually an anagram."

"An ani-what?"

"An anagram is when you take the letters of one word and scramble them up to make another word." Shikamaru pointed to the paper. "Yáo lán means 'a cradlesong' in Chinese and that's an anagram for the words 'dragon scales'. In other words, I think the cure you guys are looking for is at Yáo lán Mountain."

"Are you serious?!" Naruto screamed in his ear. "Ah, man! Are you kidding me?! I was just there!" Naruto calmed down for a moment realizing the good news. "So that's where we need to go to get the cure? That's it, right? That's the cure? It's there?"

"If I'm reading this right, then yeah."

"Yes!" Naruto jumped into the air. "Then let's get going!"

Shikamaru grabbed his wrist. "Naruto, there's something else I should mention that I've sort of been keeping from you."

"Yeah, what?"

Shikamaru looked ashamed for a moment. Then he looked at Naruto, eyes completely serious. "Lady Tsunade did send a search party for you when you disappeared. There were reports of a disturbance near that particular mountain. They're heading that way."

"Yeah."

"Isn't that where Gaara is supposed to be?"

Naruto started to understand. "So... so, they're going to that mountain?"

"And they were ordered to eliminate the threat. Naruto, if they find Gaara there, they're going to kill him."

"What?! No, they can't!"

"They don't know it's Gaara. They think it's the creature that kidnapped him. The team's bound to be close to that mountain by now. There's no time to send a message to them either. We have to beat them there and get that cure!"

This good news just became a race against time.

"We have to get going! Quick!"

Shikamaru grabbed his arm again. "Naruto, they've already had a week's head start. We'll never make it in time! We can't fly there."

Naruto started to smile. "No, we can't. But we can get a ride from someone who can. You said you let Neji go, right?"

"Yeah, but who knows where..?"

Screaming alerted them to the commotion down the street. A large scaly creature was bounding up the road, sniffing around for his friends. Neji had found his way to them after all.

"Neji!" Naruto called, waving.

Neji's head picked up. The second he spotted Naruto, he gave a joyous roar and bounded up the street towards them. Neji and Naruto met in front of the stone bench. Naruto leapt up, embracing the dragon's snout and laughing happily while Neji lifted him off the ground, purring and growling with glee.

"Oh, man! I never thought I'd be so happy to see this big scaly face of yours! I'm so glad you're not hurt!"

Neji crooned, nuzzling Naruto's face.

There was no time for a celebration. They had more important matters to deal with.

"Neji, we have to go back to that mountain where we found Gaara. Shikamaru thinks we've found a cure. And we have to get there quick before the group they sent out kills Gaara!"

Shikamaru looked down the road, hearing voices. "We'd better get a move on. I'm sure they've noticed the spectacle and are coming this way right now. I wasn't supposed to let him go. We're all going to be in massive trouble."

"Then what are we standing around here for? Let's go!" Naruto jumped up onto Neji's back, sitting on his long neck. Naruto looked down. "Well?"

"Well what?" Shikamaru frowned.

"Get on!" Naruto pointed to the spot behind him on the dragon's back. "Hurry up!"

Shikamaru took a big step back. "No way. I'm not-"

"I can't do this without you, Shikamaru! Please!"

Shikamaru still had the paper and he was the only one who could figure it out. If they didn't beat the other ninja to that mountain, Naruto would need his help in stopping them.

"Come on, hurry!" Naruto extended his arm down. "Get up here, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru saw the crowd of people coming their way and knew he had no choice. He reached up, taking the hand offered to him and was pulled onto the dragon's back. He sat behind Naruto, looking around at how high they were from the ground. He looked back and saw the ninja coming toward them brandishing their weapons. They were out of time.

"Let's go, Neji!" Naruto gripped the dragon's horns tightly in both hands, lowering himself to the neck.

Shikamaru looked around, his face draining of its color. "W- wait a minute. Is he going to-?"

Neji shot off like a rocket. With no warning whatsoever, he was in the air, climbing fast. The air pressure nearly knocked Shikamaru off. He screamed, grabbing for anything he could get his hands on. He wrapped his arms tightly around Naruto's waist and hung on for dear life as the dragon rose higher and higher off the ground. Shikamaru dared and looked down. The village was getting smaller and smaller. The sudden climb into the sky had taken his breath away and he started to feel dizzy. The dragon's twisting movements didn't make him feel any better. His lungs sank into his gut while his stomach lurched into his throat. Shikamaru shut his eyes tight, squeezing Naruto around the middle.

Feeling the pressure on his waist, Naruto looked back. Shikamaru had his head buried in his back, eyes shut tight. Shikamaru was hugging him so tightly he could feel his ribs cracking. "Come on! Don't tell me you're afraid of heights!" Naruto called over the wind roaring in their ears.

"No! I'm not afraid of heights! I just don't want to get thrown off!"

"It's not that bad! The ride evens out once he gets high enough."

Shikamaru clung to him tightly. "Easy for you! At least you have something to hold on to! It's not like this ride comes with seat-belts!" Naruto was holding onto the dragon's horns. Shikamaru on the other hand had nothing. The dragon's long body kept twisting and turning and he was too big around for Shikamaru to wrap his hands around. The only thing he had to grab hold of was the dragon's mane and something told him he wouldn't appreciate that. The next best thing he had was Naruto. Besides, if he got thrown off at this height he would surely die and he didn't trust Neji to swoop down and save him in time. If it was a choice between looking like a coward or falling to his death, Shikamaru would much rather cling to Naruto and not care who thought what.

After what seemed like minutes, the ride evened out. He could feel Neji change his position, flattening himself to the horizon. Neji's body wasn't twisting anymore, but his body in flight made Shikamaru feel as if he were riding on a waterbed. It was a smooth, rhythmic ride. Taking a chance, Shikamaru opened his eyes again and looked down. He could no longer see the village. The trees below looked like strokes of a paintbrush. He had never been so high before. Still clinging to Naruto's back, he leaned over to get a better look below. Feeling dizzy from the height, Shikamaru shifted back into his first position.

Then he looked forward. Over Naruto's shoulder, he could see the clouds. It took his breath away. For so long he had dreamed of being among the clouds, so far away from anyone or anything. The stress drained out of him along with his fear. It was as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt free. Free from his duties and free from his stress and free from his battles with everyday life. Up here, no one could yell at him. No one could give him orders or ask him to do things he had no energy to make an effort of. He didn't have to do anything up here. He didn't even have to think. Up here, all he could hear was the wind caressing his face and hair and his sighs of relief. This truly was bliss.

Comfortable, Shikamaru loosened his grip and reached out into the clouds passing by, touching them. He took in a deep breath, finally able to breathe freely. The smooth ride made it easy for him to relax and forget his troubles. Everything seemed so far away. He rested his head on Naruto's back, watching the clouds pass by and enjoyed the ride. If only he could stay up here forever.

"You doing ok back there?" he heard Naruto ask.

"Yeah," he answered lazily. He breathed another contented sigh. "If only I could stay up here forever and never have to do anything ever again. I never have to hear my mom yell at me again or get missions... or have to listen to Ino complain all the time about everything and how stressful it is to go on a diet..."

"Yeah. I like it up here, too." Naruto breathed in the free air. It was wonderful. Riding on the back of a dragon through the fluffy clouds was like a dream.

But this was no time to get sidetracked. Soaring among the clouds almost made him forget about their important mission.

"Hey, Shikamaru."

"Hn?" he mumbled into his back. He could feel Shikamaru's grip growing slack.

"Hey, don't you fall asleep on me!"

Shikamaru lifted his head. "I'm not." He couldn't let himself relax too much on this soothing ride. He had to stay alert.

"So where exactly is this group? They can't be at the mountain yet, can they?"

It was time to get serious. "I have no idea," Shikamaru answered. "They could be there already or they could be close. They were asked to hustle. All I know is that they're going to take the shortest path to get there."

"Ok." Naruto leaned down, touching the side of Neji's neck. "Let's see what we can see, Neji."

The dragon snorted a response and suddenly threw itself into a drive. Shikamaru clung to Naruto again as they drove below the clouds. This land looked familiar to Naruto but not to Shikamaru. Off in the distance they could see the mountain.

"It's up ahead. But I don't see anyone."

While Naruto looked ahead, Shikamaru chose to look down. "Naruto, below us. I see movement."

"Is that them?"

"I don't know. I can't make it out."

"We'll have to get closer to tell. Neji."

The dragon flew lower. Staying above the trees, Naruto and Shikamaru looked at the spec getting larger, moving quickly along the natural dirt path. It was human, for sure, and they were carrying something that looked like a large scroll. Naruto knew who it was once they got even closer.

"Sai!" he shouted. "Hey, Sai!"

The person stopped and turned around, seeing no one behind him.

"Up here!"

He looked up. Sai's pale face turned up to see them. A moment later, he dropped the scroll he had been carrying, his mouth falling open.

"Take us down, Neji."

Neji twisted his long body, coming in for a landing. He settled down right beside Sai and let Naruto do what he needed. Naruto didn't climb down. Still sitting on the dragon's back, he called down to Sai.

"Sai, what are you doing out here? Are you on that special assignment?"

Nothing should have surprised him this much, but seeing a living dragon landing right beside him was enough to make even Sai gasp. He quickly recovered and picked up the fallen scroll. "Yes," he answered calmly. "As part of Anbu, I was asked to assist the ninja going to the mountain. They said my skills and training would be of great help to them."

"Is anyone else from Anbu going there?"

"No. Lady Tsunade asked only me to come along while the others remain behind to protect the village should it be attacked again."

"Again?" Naruto was puzzled.

Shikamaru nudged him. "The whole 'dragon attack' in the street a week ago when he carried you off."

"Oh, that."

Sai was looking at the dragon again. He seemed curious but unafraid. "So what is this, Naruto? A strange summoning?"

"No, this is Neji." Naruto patted the dragon on the horn. "Long story short, I accidentally got him cursed and now he's stuck looking like this until we can get him cured."

Sai took a few steps closer, which Neji allowed. "A curse, you say? I've never heard of a curse like this. I've certainly never seen one. This is interesting."

"No time for that now," Naruto called. "We have to get to that mountain. That creature you guys were assigned to go after isn't an enemy. It's Gaara."

"Gaara?" Sai looked away from the dragon and back at Naruto. "You mean the Sand Village's Kazekage?"

"Yeah, yeah! He ended up getting the same curse put on him, too. But now he's been a dragon too long in isolation so he's forgotten everything. He doesn't remember being human or the Sand Village's leader or any of us or anything. If you guys attack, he'll defend himself and he might end up killing someone. Or all of you."

"Jutsu doesn't work on him, either," added Shikamaru. "None of you guys will stand a chance. Besides, if they succeed in what they were set out to do, they'll end up killing the Kazekage. We can't let that happen."

"I see." Sai looked ahead and then back at the group. "If that's the case, then why not explain it to them? If they don't know they're targeting the Kazekage..."

"No good," Naruto shook his head. "Not everyone's as gullible as you."

"What he means is..." Shikamaru interrupted. "... is that they won't believe us without proof. To make matters worse, if they do happen to believe us about the curse and that being Gaara, they may want to kill him anyway since he can't remember being human. They'll consider him a threat."

Sai nodded. "Which makes perfect sense. Sometimes we've had to kill our own comrades because they were under the influence of an enemy's jutsu and posed a great threat to us and our mission. I can see why they would do that."

"But we can cure him!" Naruto pipped up. "And Neji, too. We just have to get to that mountain and find it. Once we have it, everything will go back to normal. You have to help us."

Sai looked torn for a moment. "I would, but my assignment was to go after the creature and help defeat it. My assignment is to aid the other ninja in their attack."

"But it's Gaara they're attacking! Not some threat!" Naruto yelled.

Shikamaru touched his shoulder, gesturing him to calm down. Then he addressed Sai. "Consider this, Sai. Your primary assignment was to defeat the threat that posed a danger to the Kazekage and to retrieve him, seeing him back home to his village. Correct? That creature those ninja are after is the Kazekage, the one you're supposed to protect. As of right now, they're the threat. They wish to do harm against Gaara. So wouldn't it make more sense to help us help him which would be the best thing for both villages since we were asked to help him and get him back to his village safe and sound? Plus, if we succeed in getting the cure, that would change Gaara back to the way he once was and would no longer be a threat to us or anyone. He'll go back to his village and the Leaf's assignment to rescue and aid the Kazekage would be complete. We'll succeed. This helps everyone."

Sai contemplated this for a moment. Then he nodded, smiling at them. "For the sake of the mission, that would make the most sense. Some pretty sound logic there."

Naruto returned Sai's grin. Shikamaru did a much better job explaining things than Naruto would in such a short amount of time. "So...?"

"Ok, I'll help you," Sai agreed.

"Yes! Alright!" Naruto cheered. "Now we don't have much time."

"He's right." Shikamaru looked ahead toward the mountain. "Where are the other ninja?"

"They've gone on ahead." Sai pointed toward the mountain. "What should I do?" He was willing to help but wasn't sure how to go about it without looking like a traitor.

"Just try to stall them as much as you can," Naruto told him. "Try to keep them from hurting Gaara until we find the cure for him. We can't let them kill him or Neji."

"Understood."

"Come on," said Shikamaru. "You'll get there faster with us. Get on."

Neji was already rising off the ground. Sai quickly jumped up grabbing onto Neji's arm. Sai held on with one hand as Neji took them over the trees toward the mountain. As they passed the narrow river, they heard voices calling loudly from up ahead. They could see the other ninja getting ready for an attack. Sai let go and started running the moment he hit the ground.

"I'll see what I can do to stall them," he called, running toward the mountain with his scroll.

"Good luck, Sai. Thanks." Naruto patted Neji, telling him to move ahead. He changed directions, flying toward the charred land ahead.

As soon as they got close, Neji started to get uneasy. Naruto and Shikamaru could feel him vibrating. Naruto tried to calm him but it was useless. Neji knew what was ahead and was getting into attack mode.

"Does that riddle say anything about where the cure is?" Naruto asked Shikamaru.

"No idea. All it's giving me is the location. But it's got to be somewhere. Maybe it's only visible at night under a moon."

Naruto looked at the sky. "Nightfall is hours away. We can't wait that long."

"Just fly around the mountain. Let's see if we can find some clues."

"Ok. Let's go, Neji!"

Neji roared and turned his body, moving closer to the mountain. As they approached, Neji began to snarl. Something was wrong. Nearing the mountain, Neji suddenly stopped in midair and tried to change his course.

"What's wrong, Neji?" Naruto couldn't sense the danger until it was too late.

Something huge and red came from the cracks in the mountain and attacked. Roaring, the red dragon shot his molten-like flame at them, leaping from its hiding place. Neji twisted in the air to avoid it. Shikamaru was nearly thrown off, grabbing Naruto's jacket to steady himself.

"That thing is Gaara?!" he gasped.

"Yup. That's him alright."

The red dragon thundered, preparing for another attack. Something from below distracted him and he changed targets, firing at the ninja on the ground.

Now Naruto got a good look at the situation. The group of ninja on the ground started their attack the moment Gaara leapt from the mountain. They were firing anything they had, jutsu and weapons alike. Gaara changed targets, attacking the ninja who had entered his territory. Gaara swooped down and slashed at the men throwing their knives and spears at him.

"Gaara, don't!" Naruto tried but it was pointless. Gaara was too far gone. He didn't know who he was attacking. In his eyes, these ninja were the enemy. He had every right to defend himself.

"Forget him," Shikamaru said. "We have to concentrate on finding that cure first. Then we can worry about him."

Shikamaru had a valid point. There was nothing they could do right now. The cure came first. Then everything would fall into place.

Naruto patted Neji's head. "Let's go, Neji."

He wasn't budging. He kept his eye on the red dragon, itching for a fight.

"Neji!" Naruto called loudly. Neji turned, finally listening to him. "Let's go and find that cure, Neji."

The dragon turned away heading toward the mountain. The red dragon would have to wait.

Below, the red dragon had landed to be as close as possible to the ninja. His fire wasn't enough to keep them at bay. Some knew water-style techniques and were able to douse his fire quite easily. Their weapons were useless but his claws were not. He slashed at them with everything he had. He managed to cut one across the chest, tearing right through his vest and into his lung. He tossed the man aside and aimed for another. It was a mortal wound but thankfully there were medical ninja there who could help.

Gaara roared, sending a warning to all who dared come closer. The ninja didn't back down. They came at him from all sides with chains and ropes. If they could pin him down they had a chance. One managed to snag his left leg and pull him down. As Gaara turned to snap the chain another found its way around his neck. He was pulled down. Two ninja came at him with pegs and another came with a sword and another with a mace. Gaara pulled against his chains. Another chain was wrapped tightly around his muzzle.

"Get it! Bring it down! Kill it!" they screamed. As the ninja with the pegs got closer, something tripped them on the ground. The ninja carrying the sword stumbled, something wrapping around his ankles. "What the hell was that?"

"Sorry!"

They turned around and saw Sai kneeling nearby with his scroll out and a brush in his hand. The ink snakes slithered away, their job done.

"I was aiming for the dragon!" he called out to them. "It was a trap you tripped. Sorry about that."

This gave Gaara enough time to pull himself free. Still holding onto the chain, one ninja was sent flying into the air as Gaara bucked his head. The man was toss aside into a comrade.

Sai watched from the sidelines. He was beginning to wonder if Gaara truly needed his help. It seemed from where he stood that they were the ones in trouble. Gaara could easily tear them apart and burn the flesh off their bones. But if the ninja managed to get Gaara on the ground and pin him down they would go straight for the kill. He had to do his best to keep that from happening while protecting his fellow ninja.

* * *

Now we get into a big battle with dragons. Yay!

Please review! ^-^


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22:**

Circling the mountain, Naruto let out a loud groan. "Errruagh! I don't see it! I don't see anything! Where the hell is the freaking cure already?!"

"If it were easy then anyone would be able to get it and move it. I don't think the Dragon Priestess wanted that to happen so she made sure it was pretty well hidden."

"We don't have time for this! We need that cure now!"

Shikamaru looked at the piece of paper he had brought with him. "We don't even know what we're looking for. It could be anything."

"What if it's inside the mountain itself? What if it's buried? Augh! What do we do?!"

Shikamaru scanned the area. There must have been something here that would give them a clue. Neji seemed to be able to sense things. What if he could help them find what they were looking for? What if only a dragon could find it?

They circled the mountain several times searching high and low for anything that could possibly help them. Nothing stood out to them and Neji never reacted to anything. As they flew Shikamaru noticed a strange rock formation near the mountain. The stalagmites and stalagmites had come together in an odd formation. Shikamaru stared at it for a long time, curious. The odd shape and the location... could it be?

"Hey, Naruto."

"Yeah?"

Shikamaru pointed. "What does that look like to you?"

Naruto looked down. "Like a pile of rocks?"

"No, no, look closer. See the formation? What does that shape remind you of?"

Naruto stared at the rock formation. The rocks had come together in a kind of cage. The stalagmites looked like the bars of a cage door. But it was slightly slumped to one side. "Um..."

"Doesn't it look like a harp?"

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "Uh... kind of."

Shikamaru held up the paper. "Dragon scales... Scales as in music? Do you think that..?"

Naruto's eyes widened. It was worth a shot. "Neji! Go that way quick!"

Neji changed directions again and flew toward the rock formation. They hovered over the area. The boys studied the formation, looking for anything that was out of the ordinary.

"The riddle also talked about dragon pearls, remember? And the Dragon Priestess was supposed to have more than one dragon," Naruto thought aloud. "You don't suppose one dragon pearl gives you the curse and the other one takes it away, do you?"

"I have no idea. It's possible." Shikamaru leaned over the edge of Neji's back for a closer look. "Anything's possible, I suppose. But I don't see anything like that. You don't suppose it's hidden, do you? Buried maybe?"

"Neji, take us down."

Neji landed in front of the rock formation and let the boys off. They stood in front of the rocks, looking around for anything that would give them a hint. Maybe there was a door or a message hidden in the rock. Naruto was looking around for an arrow that may point to what they needed. No such thing made itself known. It was just an odd pile of rocks to them. It had to contain something. Naruto wasn't giving up. He knew it was here. It had to be.

"Maybe it will only make itself known under moonlight," suggested Shikamaru. "That could be part of the riddle."

"I'm not waiting that long!" Naruto got down on his hands and knees and started digging where he stood at the base of the rock formation. He dug with both hands getting dirt under his nails and all over his pants.

"Naruto, what are you doing?"

"What's it look like? I'm trying to find the cure we've been looking for." He never stopped digging. He had to keep going. For all he knew, he was standing on it right now. He had to try.

"Naruto, we don't even know if it's here. What if it isn't buried but hidden in the rocks?" Shikamaru's words fell on deaf ears. Naruto didn't stop digging for a single moment. "Naruto, stop. We could be wasting time."

"Or we could be standing on it and walked away before we could get it."

"Or it could not be here and we're wasting time."

Neji started to snarl. At first Shikamaru thought it was at something he did. As it turned out, Neji was actually snarling at the threat coming their way. The fight going on between Gaara and the ninja was getting closer to where they stood. Neji was on edge. Seeing that red dragon put him in a fury and those ninja and their weapons made him want to attack and defend himself and his friend. He wanted to protect Naruto. These people were a threat.

"Easy, Neji. Calm down." Naruto stopped digging long enough to tell him that. Then he continued, stopping only when he chipped a nail on a stone underground. He pulled his hands out of the dirt to examine himself. There was only a dot of blood on his figure. Nothing to complain about.

"Naruto, we need to cover all our bases," said Shikamaru. "We can't stay in one area and limit ourselves. We have to search."

"Then does that stupid riddle tell you where to look specifically?"

"Not exactly," he confessed. "But I'm saying that it would be smarter to..." Naruto was digging again. He wasn't going to listen. Sighing, Shikamaru turned to the dragon. "What about you, huh? I don't suppose you can use that nose of yours to sniff something out, could you?"

Neji gave it a try. He started sniffing. He could smell a great number of things but he had no idea what a cure smelled like.

But he did smell heat. He turned around and saw a stray fireball heading their way. Neji threw himself into its path, protecting the two boys. Neji took the hit in the shoulder. He wasn't hurt too badly. The heat from the fire didn't bother him at all. As a dragon, he could stand extremely high temperatures. He turned his head to check on them. The boys were unharmed and one of them was still digging, never looking up.

The red dragon spotted them. His pale green eyes narrowed on the other dragon and charged forward, abandoning the attacking ninja. Neji looked up again and saw the dragon attacking. With a roar, Neji charged straight at him and the two collided.

Naruto stopped his digging, seeing the two grappling on the ground, bodies coiled tightly together. "Neji! Stop!"

Shikamaru pulled on his arm. "There's nothing you can do, Naruto. Neji's going to fight to protect you. There's no stopping that. What you can do is find that damn cure for them. That's the only way to end this."

"Don't you think I know that? Why do you think I've been digging? Because I like it? Of course I know it'll help them both!"

"Then shut up and leave them be!" Shikamaru shouted at him. The grip on Naruto's arm tightened. "The best thing either of us can do for them now is find the cure and fix everything. Don't get distracted by them. We have Sai to help us out on the inside. With him knowing what's going on, he'll be able to stop them from killing either Gaara or Neji. So don't get involved. Just focus on finding that cure!"

Naruto looked at the battling dragons and the ninja formulating another attack strategy. He wanted to help. He wanted to pull the two dragons apart but there was nothing he could do. The attacking ninja were another problem. He had to make sure they didn't kill the dragons and he also had to make sure they didn't kill the ninja. Shikamaru was right. There was nothing he could do. Not until the cure was found. Then all this would end.

"Alright. Then help me look." Naruto went back to digging with his hands at the base of the rock structure. Shikamaru couldn't stop him. The best thing he could do to help was try to find another place the cure would be located.

The battling dragons twisted together, their bodies tangled together like tightly woven gray and red thread. They expelled fire from their mouths and roared, biting and scratching at each other. The ground shook under their thrashing bodies. Their long swishing tails managed to keep the ninja at bay for some time. They rolled over each other, fighting for dominance. Gaara spent most of his time on top, pressing Neji into the ground. Neji scorched his face, fighting his way on top again. Their claws left deep gouges in their scaled bodies. To keep himself in power, Neji bit down on Gaara's throat. He wanted to keep this dragon down. Gaara would not submit. Even with his neck torn open, Gaara fought back and threw Neji off. Neji rolled across the ground, narrowly missing the ninja setting up for another attack. As he rose to his feet, he noticed that Gaara's neck wound was already beginning to close. Dragons were fast healers. His throat was still torn open and he was bleeding but it wasn't as bad as it was. Given a few more minutes, the wound would be completely closed.

The ninja on the ground scrambled to their positions. They started to fire water jutsus at the red dragon. Gaara tried to fight back, but his fire was useless when soaking wet. He scratched at the earth with his claws, challenging them. Roaring, he dove at the men in an attempt to crush them all. Ropes wrapped around his jaws and pulled him to one side. He cut the ropes with his claws and swung with his tail.

Neji roared, getting his attention. Wanting to continue the fight, Gaara took to the sky and tried to slam into Neji from above. Unwilling to give him the advantage, Neji rose into the air was well. Joined in flight, the two soared straight up. The next moment, they crashed. They were grappling in midair. They would dip and fall and rise and fall again and again. The ninja watched below, hoping the two would take each other out.

Naruto and Shikamaru both felt something spray onto their backs. At first, Naruto thought it may have been rain. Then he realized the frightening truth. What had sprayed onto his back from above was blood. "They're hurt!" Naruto jumped to his feet.

"Naruto, I told you we can't do anything without that cure! Leave them be!"

"But if I don't do something, they'll kill each other! You want that?"

"No, but what are you going to do about it from down here, huh?" Shikamaru had to make him understand. "The cure is here. We just have to find it."

That was enough to get Naruto focused back on the task at hand. Though Shikamaru had his doubts about it being here, helping Naruto search did give him a sense of hope. Maybe they were in the right place after all.

The two dragons fell from the sky, smashing into the mountain before they crushed a pile of stone nearby. They tumbled and rolled to a stop then continued to slash at each other, breathing fire and whipping the ground with their tails. This fight was unending. Neither one wanted to stop until the other was dead.

The ninja moved in, trying to taken them down at once while they were on the ground. Ropes and chains appeared and large weapons. Different jutsus were fired this way and that. Earth jutsu to bind them to the ground and water styles to weaken their fire power. Wind styles and fire styles and anything else they could use. Gaara took the brunt of the blows. This only made him angrier. He threw Neji off and charged at the men. He grabbed one man by his arm and threw him like a rag doll. He sunk his teeth into another's leg attempting to bite it off. It was total chaos.

While the battle between ninja and dragon went on further away, Naruto and Shikamaru continued their search. Their efforts were fruitless. Shikamaru tried to think back on the riddle. There must have been a clue somewhere within those verses. Anything that would help them. He stepped around the harp shaped stones, searching for something they may have missed. Maybe there was a symbol they weren't seeing which would lead them to the actual cure itself. "What am I missing?" he kept mumbling to himself. They were so close. It had to be here.

Unless...

Shikamaru backed up, looking through the gaps in the stone to the mountain on the other side. "Maybe... it's not the stone here but the actual mountain..." he thought aloud. Maybe the rock formation was only here to guide them to where they needed to go. Maybe they had this all wrong. Shikamaru sat on the ground, letting his fingers intertwine. Slowly, without realizing it, he pulled his hands apart until only his fingertips were touching. Shikamaru always did this when working out a strategy. But maybe it would help him decipher the riddle a bit better as well. He was stumped. He had to figure this out. He had to brainstorm.

What did the riddle say? What were the words? Dragon scales. As in music or literal. Harp-shaped stones. Looking through was the mountain. The anagram. Dragon's Pearl. The pearl on both Neji and Gaara's heads. This land. The priestess. Great power. Understanding. How did that last part go? The second half must have led to the cure. That was their clue.

Frolic and play, these dragon scales,

Free from thy chains, quiet thy wails.

Return to me this pleasant night,

Dragon's Pearl glistening in my sight.

Meet together, thy precious stone,

Touch and held, gratitude shown.

Beyond that which you see,

Lies in heart all we shall be.

Together bound, body and soul,

Now at last we are whole.

Precious stone. That was the pearl. Beyond that which you see. What did that mean? Was that relevant? Frolic and play these dragon scales. Did they have to strum the stones? Was that it?

Shikamaru stood up and ran his hands across the stones. Nothing happened. At least he tried.

However, there was something he noticed. Not all the stalactites felt the same. He ran his hands over them again. Bumpy, bumpy, bumpy, smooth, bumpy, bumpy, bumpy, bumpy. He looked at the stone with the smooth texture. There was nothing setting it apart from the others expect for feel. And... Shikamaru looked through the stones again at the mountain. Each pillar of stone were perfectly alined. They came together, meeting in the center which was more narrow.

"Wait a minute..." Shikamaru noticed something about this. When he stood face to face with each rock pillar, the center pointed to a certain part of the mountain. The smooth one pointed to... "Naruto!"

"What?" He looked up from his digging, his hands brown from the dirt and red from his own blood.

Shikamaru pointed to the mountain. "There! I think that's where it is."

Naruto looked behind him at the mountain. "You sure?"

"It's the best theory I've got. Might as well take a chance." Shikamaru started running towards the mountain. "Come on!"

Naruto jumped up, wiping his hands off on his pants and chased after him. They didn't get more than half way to the mountain before a stream of fire cut across their path. The dragons were still fighting. At the moment, it was a three way battle between them and the ninja. The battle was too close for them to travel any further to the mountain. Naruto grabbed Shikamaru by the shoulder. "I don't care what you say, I can help."

"Yeah, finding the cure."

"Yes... and no." He shoved Shikamaru toward the mountain. You go where you think it is. I'm going to Neji."

"Naruto, are you insane? You can't-"

"If I do this, not only will I be helping Neji and Gaara not kill each other, but I'll also be taking the fight away from everyone below, including you. This way I can get you a clear shot at what you need to do and I'll get them away from the guys over there."

Shikamaru knew he was right. If the plan worked, anyway. He gave Narut a single nod. "Ok, do what you want."

"Thanks. Good luck with your thing." Naruto ran toward the dueling dragons and started screaming his friend's name. "Neji! Hey, Neji!"

Neji raised his head and snarled, preparing to breathe fire in his direction.

"No, Neji, it's me! It's Naruto!"

Neji paused. His eyes dilated back to their usual size, coming back to his senses. He moved away from the brawl toward the blond. Gaara didn't want to give him the chance and bit down on Neji's tail, dragging him back. Neji screeched and bit Gaara's shoulder.

"Neji!" Naruto bellowed. "Get over here now!"

For once, Neji actually obeyed an order from Naruto. He gave up his fight with the red dragon and scampered over to where Naruto stood waiting. He lowered his head, showing Naruto his docile side. He was like a dog faithful to his master.

Gaara was on the attack again, breathing out more fire in their direction. Neji snarled, coiling his body protectively around Naruto, shielding him from the flame. As soon as the heat settled and the fire died down, Naruto jumped onto Neji's back. "Come on, Neji! Let's get him away from here!" The plan was to lure Gaara away from everyone on the ground, giving Shikamaru more time to search and making the ninja less of a target.

They rose from the ground and circled over Gaara's head, taunting him. Enticed into battle, Gaara followed them into the air. He scorched the tip of Neji's tail and took a swipe at his head. Provoked, Neji threw a few fireballs his way. Gaara managed to dodge all of them and threw his body into Neji's. The air tackle nearly knocked Naruto off. He clung tightly to Neji's horns and tried steering him in another direction.

"Come on, Neji! This way!"

Neji followed his pulling, circling around Gaara. Gaara slammed into Neji again, clawing at his long body with his clawed hands. Neji swung back, their claws locking. They tried pulling each other out of the sky.

"Knock it off, Gaara!" Naruto yelled. "It's us! We're your friends!"

Gaara didn't recognize them. He had no idea who they were. Every memory about them had been erased. He just saw them as prey now. It was no use trying to reason with him.

Naruto tugged on Neji's horns again. "Lead him this way!"

Neji changed direction, leading Gaara toward the mountain. With Gaara on his tail, Neji twisted and turned this way and that to shake him. Gaara wasn't fooled and kept on them, meeting them at every turn. Neji circled the mountain once and came back low to the ground. He pulled up at the last second, hoping Gaara would slam into the earth. Again, Gaara wasn't fooled. As soon as the ground was under him, he pushed off with his front legs and straight back into the sky. Neji rose even higher. Gaara followed them into the clouds.

Naruto looked back and saw Gaara chasing them at an incredible speed. "Hurry, Neji! Faster!" There was no time to avoid the attack. Gaara sank his teeth into Neji's tail and pulled him down. Naruto held on for dear life as they started to free-fall, Gaara dragging Neji down and making sure he didn't recover. Neji kicked and scratched at Gaara but he wouldn't let go of his tail. Their bodies coiled together like a pair of snakes trying to suffocate the other. Naruto opened his eyes and saw the ground coming up fast. "Neji!" There was nothing they could do to avoid it. The dragons and Naruto plummeted straight down. The ground shook on impact. Naruto was thrown off, skidding across the dirt and rocks while The dragons strangled each other with their bodies.

His jacket was torn but other than that plus a few cuts, Naruto was fine. He ran back to help Neji. Gaara was dominating him in the fight. He had Neji pinned and was tearing him apart. Neji's pained screeches set Naruto's blood on fire.

"Stop it!" He ran forward to help pry the two apart. "Rasengan!"

The blast was enough to distract Gaara long enough for Neji to get up and glide to his left. The attack was no more powerful than a hard shove as far as Gaara was concerned. Still, it was enough to annoy him into another attack. He started snapping at Naruto. Neji returned, ramming Gaara with his head and horns. Gaara rammed back, their horns locking like a pair of angry deer. As hard as Neji pushed Gaara that's as hard as he pushed back. Gaara lit up the ground with fire from his mouth, burning Neji's front legs. He didn't mind the heat. He breathed fire back at him, pushing him back with all the strength in his neck.

Naruto turned around. The ninja were setting up for another attack. From the look of things, they were planning to take out both dragons at the same time. With them so close together, that would be an easy task. Naruto had to get them away from here. The ninja were getting smarter. Instead of using weapons alone, now they were using more jutsu combined with weapons which caused more damage. Elemental attacks seemed to work well against the dragon's hard bodies.

"Neji! Over here! Quick!" Naruto jumped up and down waving his hand to get his attention. Neji threw Gaara aside and galloped over to Naruto. "We have to get Gaara away from them before they do anything!"

He looked at the men setting up for their next attack. This wasn't looking good. Neji's eyes began to change shape again. If he burned them to ash then there shouldn't be a problem. He opened his mouth, preparing for a fire attack.

"No, no, wait!" Naruto stopped him. "They don't understand what's going on! We can't just attack them like that."

Attack? Neji wanted them burnt to a crisp. He wanted them dead. Then they would be out of their way. Why didn't Naruto want the threat gone? They were clearly the enemy. Neji's eyes changed again. That's right! They were Leaf ninja. They were allies. Of course Naruto didn't want them dead. How could Neji consider doing such a thing?Was he really losing his mind? Was he really becoming like Gaara? Soon he may not even recall Naruto or hear his voice. He may not be able to stop himself.

Gaara caught sight of the ninja and was preparing an attack of his own. Naruto climbed onto Neji's back and pointed him toward Gaara. "Hurry, Neji! We have to keep them apart!"

Neji nodded and started to rise off the ground. Suddenly a rope wrapped around his neck and pulled him down. The ninja had targeted him exactly as Naruto thought they would. They were trying to keep him from flying off again. Neji tried to free himself but even more ropes and chains were thrown into the mix. He couldn't fly like this. A rope coiled around Naruto, pinning him to Neji's back. He couldn't move.

"That's it!" yelled the men. "Bring it down! Don't let it escape!"

Naruto tried to lift himself up. They wouldn't attack if they knew he was there. Surely they wouldn't put an innocent person in danger. "Wait! Don't! I'm here! Stop it!"

They couldn't hear him. Pinned down out of sight, they couldn't see him either. In the meantime, Gaara and the other men were having a battle of their own and Gaara seemed to be winning. They attacked him from all side, using any means necessary to bring him down.

The ropes tightened around Neji's throat, cutting off his air and therefore his ability to breathe fire.

"That's it! We got it!" yelled the men. "Next team move in! Aim for the open wounds on its body! We should get a clear shot from there." They were playing to use the entry wounds to make his injuries worse. They were planning on using those wounds to enter his body where their weapons could not before and kill him that way.

There was a loud snap and the men holding the ropes fell back. Neji's air returned and he quickly shook off the loose ropes. The one around Naruto loosened as well and was able to move again. Without a moment to lose, he pushed Neji to where Gaara was batting the ninja.

One of the men picked up a fallen rope. "What happened?"

"I think the rope snapped, sir," answered one of the other ninja.

"No, look at this. These didn't snap. They were cut!"

"Cut? But How? You think that lizard..?"

Something was flying around the dragon just before the ropes and chains went slack. It was a bird with razor-sharp wings. It quickly melted away into a pile of ink. The men turned, glaring at Sai.

"Oops. Sorry about that."

"What's gotten into you today, Sai?!" they yelled. "Why are you trying to sabotage us? Whose side are you on?"

"It's not like that. I was aiming for the dragon and it flew too close to the ropes. That's all."

One of the men grabbed his arm and pulled him aside. "Stay here and don't move! We'll handle this."

"I'd like to help."

"You've helped enough! Stay put!" The Jonin flagged the other ninja over and started to work out another strategy.

Sai watched from from where he stood. He knew it would only be a matter of time before they realized he was trying to make them fail the mission. It would be more difficult now to assist Naruto and Shikamaru now that they suspected him of doing all these so-called mistakes on purpose. He couldn't hold them back much longer before they ended up tying him to a tree just to keep him out of the way.

While Neji galloped toward the red dragon terrorizing the other ninja, Naruto performed a hand sign. Maybe if he weighed Gaara down... "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Dozens of Naruto clones appeared, charging toward the dragon. They grabbed onto his legs and mane trying to weigh him down. More clones appeared, covering Gaara's body. There must have been over one hundred clones. Even that wasn't enough. With one powerful thrust, Gaara threw off several of them and burned the others. Naruto did it again. Just like before Gaara easily defeated them all. He couldn't be restrained.

Seeming to follow in Naruto example, several ninja had appeared around Neji's quick moving feet and started to latch onto him, pulling him back. Naruto looked down and saw a man climbing up Neji's side and pulling on Neji's mane.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "Knock it off! Let go!" Naruto kicked him off and tried to stop the other men. They were already causing Neji to slow down. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" The clones dove off Neji's back and attached themselves to the attacking Jonin, forcing them back. Free from the ninja, Neji pressed on. He shot a large fire ball in Gaara's path, cutting him off from the other ninja. Naruto ducked as a sword was knocked into the air and landed point down in the ground.

Something grabbed Neji's feet, stopping him mid-step. Naruto was thrown over Neji's head and onto the ground. Neji toppled over, off balance. The ninja started to move in again. Neji's legs were tangled in earth hands. It was an Earth style jutsu. Naruto produced more clones to keep the ninja at bay while he rushed to help Neji. Something heavy whipped him in the back and set him flying end over end into his clones, knocking over a couple like bowling pins. Naruto's clones helped him up. He tried to walk but he fell to his knees in extreme pain. His back was killing him. He looked back to see what had hit him. It was Gaara's powerful tail. He was swatting the the ninja with his long tail, sending them all flying in several directions. From the feel of things, that attack just cracked two of Naruto's ribs. He was lucky. Several of the men were laying in pain, screaming about broken backs.

Naruto spat out blood and looked to his left. His clones had chiseled Neji free from the stones binding his feet and threw themselves into the Jonin attempting to close in on the dragon. Naruto leapt onto Neji's back, clutching his aching ribs and spine. "Clone's aren't enough to stop him," he observed. "Gaara takes care of them in no time. They can't even hold him down."

The clones keeping the Jonin back were popping one after another. Several of the men carried away fallen comrades as Gaara pursued them. Gaara snapped weapons and threw ninja away with his claws and teeth. An Earth jutsu spouted out of the ground like a stone flower and punched Gaara in the face. He set the jutsu crumbling with one swipe of his arm. He grabbed one men in his teeth and threw him over a tree, stomping on another with his front leg.

"They're not going to last, even if they are Jonin," Naruto murmured. "Either they kill Gaara or he kills them." Naruto patted Neji's neck. "Let's just keep them apart, ok? Go!"

More jutsu fell before the red dragon. Gaara was too strong for them. The men tried to keep his head wet to put out his flame but their numbers were dwindling thanks to all the chaos. They were determined to bring that creature down at all cost. As they launched another attack, the red dragon stomped the earth flat in front of them. It began to rain fire as it unleashed its fury. This thing could not be stopped. Several of the men couldn't avoid it in time. There were too many injured.

"Rasengan!" Six of Naruto's remaining clones attacked Gaara from the side with their jutsu. It wasn't enough to cause damage. Only a mere distraction at best. Gaara made them all vanish with one puff of fire. The Jonin were spared in that moment. Gaara turned to continue what he had started but that wasn't the end of the attack.

Neji slammed into Gaara, sending him flying into the trees. Roaring, Gaara got up and followed Neji into the sky. The battle continued like before, twisting and turning in the sky. Naruto had been flung this way and that so many times he was starting to feel sick to his stomach. Suddenly, Gaara seemed to back off. He flew off in another direction, leaving them. Knowing Gaara was up to something, Naruto told Neji to wait. Sure enough, Gaara returned, firing hot flame at them as he zoomed by. He was dive-bombing. As soon as he landed a few hits, he moved in to force Neji out of the sky again with a full-body tackle. A large rock flew up from the ground and slammed into Gaara's stomach. The ninja were using jutsu again from below. Abandoning his fight with the gray dragon, Gaara dove out of the sky toward the men, screeching in fury.

"Naruto!" He could hear Shikamaru's voice calling faintly from below. Naruto looked down, telling Neji to land. Shikamaru was standing by the mountain, pointing at something. "Naruto, here!"

They landed and Naruto raced toward him. "Did you find it?"

"I think so. Look." Shikamaru had found something alright. He had moved aside several loose stones until he came across a smooth surface in the side of the mountain. "I think it's on the other side of this but I can't get to it. There's no seal but the stone-"

"Move aside."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Wait a minute. Are you going to-"

"Rasengan!" Shikamaru jumped aside just as Naruto lunched an attack from his hand. The Rasengan was powerful enough to blast a hole in the mountain, shaking the rocks loose and opening the hidden cavity.

"Naruto!" he yelled. "Warn me next time you're going to do that!"

"I thought I did."

"You could have damaged the thing! The last thing we need is it broken."

"Sorry! I didn't think..."

Shikamaru moved aside loose stones and reached into the hole, grabbing something. He pulled out something smooth and pale green. It looked like a thin plate or a very shallow bowl. It sparkled when he held it up to the light.

"That's not..." Naruto looked into the hole. "Did I break it or something? I thought there'd be another pearl in there, like the first one."

"This isn't a pearl, Naruto." Shikamaru stared at the object in his hands, looking at it in awe. "It's a dragon's scale."

"A scale?"

He nodded. "It had more than one meaning," he murmured. "Scale as in music and as in the literal term. This must be the cure we were looking for. We weren't meant to find another pearl, but a dragon's scale. The pearl must give you the curse and the scale must take it away."

This must have been true since Shikamaru was holding it in his hands and nothing was happening. Then again, Neji's transformation took a little while. Judging from how Shikamaru was able to hold it in his bare hands, it appeared to be safe to touch. Naruto held out his hands, taking it from Shikamaru. The scale was hard as steel but felt like glass. It was beautiful. It was amazing to look at. It was lighter than he expected it to be though it still had some weight to it.

"Now how do we use this? Do they just have to touch it or something?"

"Remember what that riddle said?" asked Shikamaru. "'Meet together, thy precious stone, touch and held, gratitude shown'? I think it means you have to touch the scale to the pearl on their foreheads. That must be the cure."

"Are you sure?"

"We could always test it and see."

A loud crash alerted them to the mayhem going on across the stone field. Gaara was still fighting off the ninja who were using a combination of jutsu and weaponry. There was no time. They had to test it now. If this didn't work, Naruto didn't know what to do. This truly was their last hope.

He looked at Neji who was making low growls, staring off in Gaara's direction. His ears twitched, feeling something. He looked down seeing Naruto's eyes upon him. His eyes were huge and docile. His growls turned to soft purrs seeing Naruto's face. He still recognized him. Not for much longer given what Gaara had become. Neji was already slipping in some ways.

Tightening his hold on the scale, Naruto pressed it close to his chest and instructed Neji to lower his head. Naruto pulled himself up onto Neji's back, heading into battle once more.

"Wait," said Shikamaru. "You're not going to test it first?"

"I'm using it on Gaara." He had a promise to keep to Neji, but this came first. His promise would be kept but it would have to wait. "I need to keep Neji like this a little while longer. The only way I can get to Gaara is with a dragon. I'll cure him first."

Gaara really did need it more than Neji at this point. It was for the greater good. Gaara was on a rampage, everyone was looking for the Kazekage and Gaara had been a dragon longer, losing his sense of self. It made more sense to cure him first and end the battle and return the missing Kazekage to his home. The only way to do that was on the back of another dragon.

Shikamaru nodded. Naruto was using his head. "Ok. I'll see if I can hold them off while you get a clear shot."

"Thanks." Naruto gave Neji a little kick with his heels. "Ok, Neji, go!"

With a roar, Neji galloped across the ground and lifted into the air.

* * *

Please review! ^-^


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23:**

Gaara had a Jonin pressed under his foot, ready to rip off his head, when he sensed the other dragon. He abandoned the ninja and flew off. Neji followed him. Gaara took them back to the mountain and disappeared. There must have been an opening they could not see from where they flew. Naruto had Neji fly in close to look for him but Gaara was nowhere to be found.

"How did he..?"

There was a loud explosion and a shower of rocks rained down upon them as the mountain's surface fell apart. As they were pelted by large stones the red dragon appeared from the opening in the side of the mountain and bit down on Neji's throat. He started to pull him down.

Naruto saw his chance. Gaara was so close. His jaws were right by his legs, he could reach out and touch his fangs piercing into Neji's neck. Now may be his only time to do it. He scrambled up and jumped. He landed on Gaara's nose and pulled out the scale. Gaara bucked his head and Naruto went flying. He started to fall straight down. There was nothing to grab on to. Something snatched him right out of his fall, saving him. Neji had managed to catch Naruto in his teeth.

"Thanks, Neji!"

The red dragon appeared again and slammed into Neji from underneath causing Neji to almost lose his grip. Gaara kept at it, beating Neji with his horns and skull. The next hit was so powerful Naruto could feel it vibrate through his bones, jostling him so violently he lost his grip on the scale.

"No!" Naruto watched it fall and acted quickly. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Several clones appeared and tangled together forming a long chain. The clone at the very end managed to grab the scale and pass it up one clone at a time. Just before it reached Naruto, Gaara attacked again and this time Neji couldn't hold onto him anymore. Naruto was shaken loose and began to fall. Neji dove after him. Naruto grabbed onto his clones to slow his fall and used them as stepping stone to keep himself in the air just a little while longer until Neji arrived. Naruto jumped from his last remaining clone and grabbed onto Neji's horn as he flew by. "Neji, are you alright?"

Neji's neck had been torn open and was bleeding from the mouth. Despite his injuries, he nodded his head, telling Naruto he could keep going.

Gaara appeared again and drove them both into the side of the mountain. Naruto's leg was crushed between the mountain side and Neji's heavy body. He screamed and tried to push himself away from the mountain. It was an incredible pain; as if his whole leg had fallen asleep only much, much worse. Sensing Naruto's distress, Neji fought back with everything he had. He managed to push Gaara off him and slashed him across the face with his claws. Gaara pulled back, screeching. Neji clung to the side of the mountain and looked at Naruto, roaring anxiously. He was truly worried Naruto's life was in danger. Naruto grabbed Neji's mane and shouted for him to move away from the mountain. Neji pushed off, shaking a few rocks loose and flew off just as Gaara slammed into the mountain head-first, missing them by mere inches.

"I'm ok!" Naruto shouted, holding his leg. He was in a great deal of pain but his leg wasn't broken. "We have to get close to Gaara. I almost had him that time. I have to get this on his forehead." He held the scale tightly in his other hand.

Neji nodded and flew high above the mountain, taunting Gaara into another attack. He took the bait and flew after them. Once again, they started to grapple in the air, locking horns and claws several times and free falling. Naruto had no openings during this time. He held onto Neji's mane while they battled. Naruto hopped they would lock horns again and he could run up Neji's head and onto Gaara's while the two were locked together. Sadly, this did not happen.

With one good shove, Gaara pushed them back and flew to the side. Neji unleashed a fireball at him which Gaara managed to dodge. He roared at them and flew in a different direction. Neji followed after him, refusing to let him get away. Gaara tried to keep him at bay, breathing fire behind him. Gaara seemed to be winding down. This battle was taxing on him. A weakened dragon was a better target but not an easy one. Gaara would still defend himself anyway he could. He was still dangerous. He flew toward the mountain, circling it several times. Neji hung back, watching him. Gaara had chosen his perch. This was where he would attack from.

On the ground, ninja had finished setting up the final attack. Their elemental users were lined up and ready. They had also summoned up more weapons which they figured would cause the most damage to the dragons.

"Cannons, sir?" asked one of the men. "Are we really doing this?"

"You know they're not your typical cannon," he answered.

"I'm aware of that but, what are we, pirates?"

"This is the biggest weapon we have which we haven't used against these beasts yet. It's worth a shot. Just be ready when I give the order."

"Yes, sir."

"Water team ready?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Earth and wind teams?"

"Set and waiting,"

"Good. Everyone get into position." The Jonin looked at the mountain before them. The dragons were still going at it, breathing fire at each other and canceling out their attacks. Rocks were shifting and sliding down the mountain, kicking up dirt and gravel. He waited until they were in position. "Ok. Ready... Set... First team, go! Make an opening!"

Nothing happened. No one moved.

"I said fi- huh?" Neither could the Jonin. He couldn't move his body. Something was holding him in place. "What is this? What's happening?"

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief. "Shadow Possession Jutsu... just in time."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" the men snapped. "Release us now! What's gotten into you, Shikamaru?"

"Just wait! Don't attack yet."

"Are you insane? We have orders to take those things down!"

"Just wait!" Shikamaru was having a hard time restraining all these men. Most of them were Jonin. They were strong. There must have been at least 30 men here. It was difficult to hold all of them back even with this jutsu. He could feel them all pulling. Some were already beginning to move their limbs. "Just wait a minute!"

A few men were breaking free and reaching for their weapons. Something slithered up their arms and bound them in place. Snake handcuffs. More were coming, slithering up their bodies and holding their arms in place. Shikamaru turned and saw Sai standing behind them with his scroll. "I'm running out of ink so I hope this will do."

"That's good. Thanks for the help." He could still feel them pulling. "I just hope it will last." He looked toward the mountain, praying for Naruto to hurry. He couldn't keep this up much longer.

Gaara was tired and angry; a bad combination. Naruto just needed to touch this scale to his head and it would all be over. But Gaara wouldn't let them get close. Neji was left to circle and hover at a safe distance. Every time they approached, Gaara would attack. He coiled his body around a jagged rock formation protruding out of the mountain using it as his perch.

Naruto tried to think. They were running out of time. Clones weren't working. He had tried that before several times. No matter how many he created, Gaara destroyed them all. They weren't strong enough to restrain him. The Rasengan was strong enough to push him to one side but not enough to stop him. It only made him angrier. Gaara was going to continue his rampage no matter what they threw at him.

Naruto looked at the scale. What if he threw it at Gaara? No, that was a bad idea. What if he missed the target? What if Gaara broke it? What if tossing it wasn't enough? Naruto had to do this himself with his own two hands.

He knew what he had to do. It was their only chance. "Neji, get me in as close as you can!"

Nodding, Neji flew closer over Gaara's head. Too close for Gaara's comfort. He let out a powerful flame, burning Neji's face and upper body. Naruto hid behind Neji's neck, waiting for the fire to subside. Neji slumped into the side of the mountain, trying to escape another attack, knocking a few stones loose. Neji used a fire attack of his own, combating Gaara's next attack.

This was enough. Naruto couldn't wait any longer. Using the rock-slide and their fire as a cover, Naruto jumped off Neji's head and let himself fall straight down toward Gaara and his fire. "Gaara!"

The fire subsided as Gaara fought to catch his breath. He saw Naruto falling straight toward him but couldn't react in time. Naruto held out the scale with both hands, aiming for his forehead.

_Please come back, Gaara! _He begged in his mind. _You have to come back. Please let this work!_

He pressed the scale to the pearl on Gaara's head.

The Jonin's feet started to slide across the dirt, fighting against Shikamaru's jutsu. He tired to maintain control but it wasn't enough. He had to use his Shadow Strangle technique as well and now even that wasn't enough. "I can't hold them back much longer!" There were too many strong ninja. He couldn't do it. Even Sai's snakes were starting to melt away into ink. "I can't keep this up..!"

"Hang in there," Sai told him while trying to disable all the cannons. "Just a few more seconds..."

"Come on, Naruto. What are you doing up there?" The jutsu was at its limit. Even his Shadow Strangle jutsu wasn't enough. They were breaking free of that, too. "I can't keep this up anymore!"

The jutsu broke just as the mountain was engulfed in flame. Shikamaru fell to his knees, panting. The ninja stood at the ready, staring at the mountain.

"What happened? Did anyone see?"

"Wait for the smoke to die down. Make sure we have a clear target."

"Do you see anything?"

"What's going on up there?"

The smoke started to clear. The rocks stopped tumbling. Everything was quiet. No screeches, no roars. No one spoke for a while.

"What is that?" one ninja squinted up at the mountain. "Right there. Do you see it?"

"Yeah, what is that?"

"Where's that lizard thing? Where'd it go?"

Shikamaru smiled, leaning back on his hands. "Finally."

Standing on the dragon's former perch was the Leaf Village's number one hyperactive ninja and in his arms was the missing Kazekage.

Red hair, pale skin and no scales. This was the Gaara everyone was more familiar with. Naruto held him in his arms, waiting for him to make a sound. Gaara's body was completely limp. He wasn't moving. Naruto moved his head closer and heard him breathe. He jostled Gaara's shoulders a little to get him to move.

"Gaara?" he called quietly. "Are you ok? Can you hear me?"

Slowly, Gaara lifted his head. His eyes opened. Naruto smiled. Gaara's eyes fell on his smile, saying nothing. He looked like he had just woken up from a long sleep. He looked exhausted.

Still, Naruto was happy to see him alive. And human. "How are you feeling?"

Gaara rested his head on Naruto's shoulder. "I just..." he said softly. Naruto had to move closer to hear his weak voice. "I want to go home." His eyes closed and his body fell limp again.

Naruto smiled again. "You got it." Naruto jumped down the side of the mountain from one rock to the next. He carried Gaara across the dirt and stone wasteland. As he got closer to the other side, the ninja came running toward him, each one asking him a different question.

"What are you doing here, Naruto?"

"What happened?"

"Where's that big red lizard thing?"

"Where'd it go?"

"What happened to that creature?"

"When did you get here?"

"Is- is that the Kazekage?!"

"What's going on?"

Shikamaru tried to push back the confused ninja. "Come on, give him some air. Let him breathe, would you?" He turned back to Naruto with a grin. "You are such a troublesome guy, you know that?"

"Whatever." He gestured to Gaara in his arms. "Believe me now, don't you?"

He shook his head, rolling his eyes with a chuckle. "If I didn't believe you, would I have helped you this long?"

Sai pressed his way through the questioning ninja trying to get a closer look at the body in Naruto's arms. "Ah. So he was the red dragon after all. How did you change him back?"

Naruto smiled. "In my pocket." He had just enough time to grab the scale before Gaara collapsed.

Shikamaru fished it out, showing it to Sai. "So it worked after all. Now what?"

Naruto whistled. "Neji!"

The only dragon remaining soared from behind the mountain and landed beside Naruto, nudging him affectionately. The surrounding ninja froze, unsure of whether or not to attack. This was the enemy, right? It seemed to know Naruto and appeared to be on good terms. It seemed pretty docile. What in the world was going on?

Neji gave Gaara a sniff, blowing his red hair back. This was the same scent as the red dragons' with minor differences. It was definitely him. Sensing he was no longer a threat, Neji did nothing to instigate another fight. At Naruto's command, he bent his knees letting Naruto on his back. With the ninja bombarding him with questions, Naruto carefully adjusted Gaara in his lap, making sure he wouldn't fall.

"Where are you going?"

"Why is the-"

"What is the Kazekage doing here?"

"Where are you taking him?"

Naruto's answer was simple. "Gaara said he wanted to go home so that's what I'm doing." And the fastest way to do that was on a dragon.

Shikamaru held up the scale. "What should I do with this?"

"Hang on to it and keep it safe until I get back." He patted Neji's mane with his free hand, supporting Gaara with the other. "Let's go, Neji. To the Sand Village."

It was a gentle take off with all the ninja around and the comatose Gaara on his back. Neji walked for a short distance before taking his first step off the ground and into the air. The ninja continued to call after him, asking questions, but the higher they got, the less of it he heard. He'd let Shikamaru handle this one for him. Right now his main objective was to return the missing Kazekage to his home.

It was a more pleasant ride now that they were no longer flying into battle or racing to get to the mountain. Gaara lay quietly in Naruto's arms. Naruto wasn't aware of this, but the ninja had already attacked Gaara before their arrival. Gaara had retreated into the mountain to retaliate. His body was already worn from the fray. More went on than Naruto knew and more than Gaara could remember. The transformation and battle had taken its toll on Gaara's body, leaving him battered and weak. What he needed most now was rest.

The sky opened up, the clouds parting to make way for the dragon. Neji pushed his way through and into the cotton candy sky. Gaara opened his eyes feeling the light breeze on his face and a strange warmth close to his body. He saw pink. Gaara shifted his head slightly to get a better look. Pink, yellow and blue. The clouds looked so soft, like whipped cream. Looking over his head, he saw even more clouds, so fluffy he had an overwhelming desire to plunge himself into them. Below were just as many pink and yellow clouds. They were surrounded by fluff. It was a garden of clouds, making a path for them in the sky. He wanted to reach out and touch one but couldn't lift his arms to do so. His body felt so heavy. He didn't mind. He felt really comfortable.

The dragon carried them over the clouds, giving them a clear view of the sky. It never looked closer. He could see nothing but blue sky and fluffy, soft clouds. The ocean of fluff below them carried the dragon's shadow. Gaara was able to track their movements like this but didn't care where he was. Everything about this seemed so unreal. He took little notice of the dragon they were riding on. He wanted to watch the clouds a little more. It was beautiful.

Having this warmth close to his body, the gentle swaying of the dragon rocking him in the sea of pink clouds and the cool breeze caressing his face, Gaara never felt more at ease in his life.

"This is nice," he couldn't help saying.

Hearing Gaara's voice for the second time, Naruto looked down. He was smiling. Gaara was actually smiling. His smile was the purest thing Naruto had ever seen. Sheer happiness. Gaara was completely at peace.

Smiling back, Naruto kept a firm but gentle grip on Gaara's shoulders, propping him up so he could get a better view of everything around him. The next time Naruto looked down, Gaara had his eyes closed but his smile remain, seemingly lulled to sleep by the sunset and the dragon's rhythmic rocking.

Bathed in the orange light, Naruto could see the Sand Village from between the clouds. Neji flew lower, slowing his movements so he wouldn't stir up too much sand. Before Neji could make a proper landing, the ninja of the Sand were already coming out to greet them. Both knew it could have been the people coming out to defend themselves, but they had someone to deliver. They wouldn't run away. Neji glided over the sand and made a soft landing near the gate. Several people had come out to stare, two of whom Naruto knew quite well. He waved at Gaara's siblings.

Seeing the dragon, many of the ninja were preparing to attack to defend their home. Seeing the bundle on its back, they stopped, unwilling to put their leader at risk. Naruto waved with one hand, supporting Gaara in the other. Tamari and Kankuro came to the front looking both fearful as well as hopeful. The dragon bent its knees letting Naruto slide down. He walked across the sand, carrying Gaara like a precious statue. Gaara wasn't moving, save for his limbs swaying lifelessly with Naruto's steps. The brother and sister duo waited anxiously, praying their little brother was safe and brought home alive. Judging from Naruto's smile, it was good news.

Naruto stepped in front of Temari, showing her their Kazekage, returned safe and sound. "Here." He transferred Gaara from his arms to hers. Her right arm supported his knees and with her left she supported his head. Gaara felt so light. She held him close, unsure. She had never seen Gaara's eyes closed like this before. "He's fine," Naruto added to console her.

"Is he ok?" she asked anyway. "What happened to him?"

"He's fine. He just needs to rest for a bit. I wouldn't give him any paperwork for a while. Just let him rest for a couple of days. Poor guy's exhausted."

"But what happened to him?" Kankuro asked this time. "He's been gone for ages and no one knew where he went. Are you sure he's ok?"

"I told you, he's fine. Just give him time to rest." Naruto glanced down at Gaara, grinning. "He's just been through a lot in the past few days. And today."

"Just tell me what happened," Kankuro demanded.

Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a long story. I can give you the details later. Gaara might be able to tell you a few things, too. Probably not now, but..."

Temari nodded her head in gratitude. She was showing one of her rare grateful smiles. Not sadistic at all or mocking. "This is the second time you've brought Gaara home safe." The first time Naruto returned with Gaara he had died. When he returned, he was weak but alive again. If Naruto hadn't been there to help, never giving up... It meant the world to Temari even though she would never admit it out loud. She was grateful to have her baby brother and leader home. She was curious why he had been gone for so long and wanted to know the details, but for now this was enough. She would get her answers later. Right now she had to make sure Gaara was safe.

Kankuro continued to badger Naruto with questions but after hearing his sister speak in a tone he never knew she was capable of, he backed off. The answers could wait one evening. Seeing how weak Gaara was, he knew the Kazekage's well-being came first. He had been gone nearly two weeks. He must have been starving and cold. He must have been dehydrated, too. Maybe he was hurt. He didn't have his famous gourd with him and he looked exhausted. They had to take care of his needs first before they questioned Naruto.

The delivery made, Naruto had no reason to stay. "Just make sure he gets his rest, ok?" He started to turn away.

"Naruto..."

All eyes fell on the Kazekage. Gaara had opened his eyes, steering them in Naruto's direction. He voice was soft and weak but clear as day. "Thank you."

Naruto paused. Gaara was thanking him but for what? For bringing him home? For saving him? For being there when he needed him? For curing him? For the wonderful ride on a dragon in the sky?

Temari agreed with her brother. "Yes, thank you, Naruto."

"Thanks, man," said Kankuro.

"We're really in your dept now," Temari half teased. "I mean, this is twice so far you've brought him home like this and..." She was afraid to say anymore, thinking she would appear weak. One thank-you was enough. But she really was terrified she had lost her little brother for the second time in a year.

The other ninja around them nodded their heads in agreement, saying their thank-yous in stunned mumbles in the presence of the dragon eclipsing the setting sun. Their Kazekage had been returned, the details still unknown. Naruto didn't want to tell them right now. He had other things to do and telling the Sand shinobi they chased their own leader out of the village would only send them into a panic. That story was best left for another time.

Gaara closed his eyes again, wearily resting his head on his sister's arm, the last of his energy drained from his weaken body. He needed his rest.

Naruto nodded at Gaara's calm face, smiling. Then he turned back, climbing onto the dragon.

"Where are you going?" asked one of the men.

"Like I said, I can give you the details later. Right now I've got some stuff to do." He adjusted himself behind Neji's shoulders as the dragon stood. "I have a few things I need to take care of. Don't worry."

Neji turned his body, preparing to take off. Naruto took one final look back at the Sand ninja, pausing. The way Temari held her brother reminded Naruto of something he couldn't remember. Somehow, the action made her look almost motherly. Before her eyes were filled with such fear when she looked at her little brother. Now they held warmth and concern. Caring eyes. She loved Gaara. Kankuro stepped closer, placing his gloved hand on Gaara's forehead. He let a smile slither onto his lips, letting his hand drop back to his side after a moment. He was worried about his brother, too. He, too, loved Gaara. The Sand Slibings turned toward the gate and the other ninja followed, crowding around them. Some led the way, others followed behind and the rest flanked them on either side, walking in bunches through the gates. They crowded around the Kazekage, each one wanting to see him with their own eyes. They were already making plans for what to do first. They all shared a deep concern for their leader. They cared about Gaara. They all loved him.

Naruto's smile deepened as he watched them carrying Gaara back into the village, no one turning around to pay him or the dragon any notice. Their Kazekage had returned. Gaara was home.

Now it was time for them to return home as well. At long last, they could go home.

"Come on, Neji. We have a few stops to make, but I think that can wait. Don't you?"

Neji snorted, shaking his mane and wagging his long tail.

"For now, let's go home." After all this mayhem, they needed their rest, too. Neji lifted off the ground and, carried by the wind, began the long journey back to the Leaf. Naruto breathed in the free air, flattening himself to Neji's back. He watched the multicolored clouds part as they were swallowed up by the twilight sky, the first of the stars winking at them, welcoming him and the dragon into freedom.

Going home was a feeling even better than flying.

* * *

Gaara is home safe and sound and a cure has been found.

What's next for them? This story isn't over yet, but it's coming to an end soon.

Please review ^-^


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter**:** 24 **

Naruto took care of all the loose ends and fulfilled his promises. He returned to the village guarded by white walls to return the riddle to its rightful owner. Nianzu and his wife were pleased to hear that a cure had been found but were surprised to see Neji still in his dragon form. As it turned out, traveling on dragon-back made Naruto honor all of his commitments much faster. Neji was happy to do it. Nianzu wanted to know of Naruto's adventures, so he told him about Gaara and their battle to cure him quickly. After the story was shared, Nianzu wanted to know how Gaara was doing. This was something even Naruto did not know. After returning him to the Sand Village, they never heard back, leaving him in the care of his people. Naruto was confident that they would treat him well and that there was nothing to worry about. Still he wondered why no one had noticed Gaara's transformation where people were aware of Neji's. That was something only the Kazekage would know.

Miles away, Gaara began to stir. He opened his eyes and saw that he was in his bedroom. This was one of the first times Gaara had ever made use of his bed. Normally he used it as a second desk, piling it high with books and papers. Everything had been cleared off allowing him to use it for its true purpose. He was laying down with the blanket covering his body. He pulled his arm up to block the sun from his eyes pouring in through his window.

Someone was in the room with him. They sat beside him. "Gaara, how are you feeling?" came Temari's voice.

"Uh..." It was difficult to say. His body was numb and heavy. He felt weak which was rare for him. "I feel odd. I feel rather weak."

"Naruto said you would need rest. We knew he was right. You've been through a lot."

"I have?" What did she mean? "Naruto said that?"

Temari moved her head to the side, blocking the sun. "Do you remember anything?"

"Um..." He thought back. He remember a few things but were they real? He normally didn't sleep so he never experienced dreams. Based on how other people described them Gaara thought perhaps those were what he was mistaking for actual memories. "I think... I was flying," he said at last. "I remember the sky and I felt the wind on my face and going through my hair. But... That can't be."

"Naruto did bring you back from the sky. He was riding a dragon and carried you on its back all the way here."

"A drag..." He started to remember. He looked at his hand, seeing the soft pale skin he knew quite well. It wasn't always like this, though. He remembered seeing it differently a few days ago. Days? Had it been days or merely a few hours? No, he remembered time passing by, the sun rising and setting several times. It had been days. At least.

"Gaara?" Temari prompted gently. Her tone was usually never this kind. Not unless she were trying to coax him out of a rage or pleading for him to spare a life, which she hadn't done in years. He was no longer the monster which needed a gentle tone so as not to be provoked. Now she spoke to him this way only when she was worried about his well-being. Words spoken out of love.

Gaara swallowed. "A few days ago... something happened to me..."

"Naruto told us a little bit about it. He said you changed."

He did remember. "I was coming back... and..." How did it start? What happened first? "I started to feel strange."

Temari nodded, wanting the details.

"I... could stand the heat. I was taking a bath and... and the water was boiling hot but I didn't feel it. And I remember... Dinner..." He shut his eyes, thinking back on every detail. "I remember eating a lot. Kankuro was teasing me about it a little, I think. It was hot but it didn't bother me." He looked back at his hand. "After my bath... I remember now. I noticed strange markings on my skin. I thought it was a rash. I ignored it. By morning I was covered."

"I never noticed." Temari had come in that morning to deliver a few papers and never noticed a thing. It wasn't her being inattentive. Gaara liked to wear clothes which covered him from head to toe. No part of his skin was visible except for his face and hands. Even his neck was covered most of the time.

Gaara continued, seeing everything clearly now. "I was doing paperwork and suddenly my pen snapped in half. My fingernails were really long and sharp. I remember feeling very uncomfortable. My chair broke. I fell. And..." Everything played before his eyes again as he remembered every single detail. "I was growing."

"Growing?"

"I was getting bigger and bigger. I remember getting bigger than my desk. My body just kept growing. I remember calling for help but my voice wouldn't work. I kept making these sounds and..." His office door opened. "Two men came in and saw me. They attacked me. I fell out the window and into the street."

Temari had come into the office later that day and found everything a mess. The window was broken and so was his desk and chair. The papers were everywhere.

"I landed by some people and tried to talk to them but they attacked me as well. I tried to get them to stop but I couldn't. So I ran. I kept getting attacked by so many people. I kept running. They kept shouting that there was a beast running through the village." He couldn't fight back. For some reason he had trouble controlling his body. Besides, if he were to fight back, he would end up killing them. He couldn't bring himself to hurt his own people.

"Then what happened?"

"I ran for the gate and left the village."

Temari swallowed. Kankuro had been there at the time and had reported seeing some great red lizard running through the gate of the village and into the desert. She had been on assignment and had seen nothing. She listened to Gaara's every word, carefully matching it up with the reports they had received. A beast left the village at the same time Gaara disappeared. They concluded that the creature had kidnapped him and left the village. Now she knew the truth. Gaara was that creature. They had run the Kazekage out of his own village.

"Oh, my God," she moaned. "That was you? Gaara I'm so sorry. We didn't know. We thought that thing was... I'm sorry we chased you out of the village and attacked you. We didn't-"

Gaara shook his head. "It's fine."

"Fine?"

"Yes. They thought I was a threat and chased me out of the village before anyone was hurt. They did their jobs well. They protected the village and got rid of the threat. If anything I should be proud."

Temari was relieved that he wasn't angry with them but surprised at the same time. "After you left the village, what did you do? Where did you go?"

"I went into the desert and waited for things to calm down. I tried to send you a message in sand but for some reason it would not obey me. The sand wouldn't bend to my will. So I traveled until I came upon an area and managed to find paper and ink." He wrote the message by dipping his claws in the ink and scribbling it down on paper. He then sent it to the village, hoping they would understand.

"Gaara, we thought that was fake. You never send messages in ink. Only sand."

"But I couldn't use sand so I..."

All this time... They had it all wrong.

"After that it gets harder to remember," he went on. "The days blurred together and my mind just..." He found it difficult to remember. He could barely remember how he got home. "I remember seeing Naruto's face but... It's fuzzy."

Temari gave his arm a pat. "Don't worry about it. You're home and that's all that matters."

"How long was I gone for?"

"Almost two weeks."

"Two weeks?!" Gaara was under the impression that it had only been a couple of days. He was missing more of his memory than he thought. "I don't remember anything. That long?" After being on his own for a few days, he remembered feeling himself slipping away, slowly but surely. He found it harder to remember how to get home and what he used to look like. He was forgetting everything until finally... Nothing.

And now he was home.

What he managed to recall was a loneliness he hadn't felt in a long time. No, this was a different kind of loneliness. He had no one with him on his journey through the desert. He spent the cold nights alone under the stars, sand blowing in his face and ears and then having to unbury himself the next morning. He had to search for food alone and walked by himself feeling so hungry. He remembered looking over his shoulder hoping someone would find him and keep him company. Soon he found himself in the shadow of a mountain and decided to find shelter in there during the rain. He would peer outside every now and again, praying someone was standing outside waiting to take him home and help him. He spent his long lonely days and fear-filled nights wondering what was to become of him and if he was ever going to see his family again. He wondered how they were fairing without him. If they missed him. If they even knew he was gone. He thought about his older brother and sister.

Then, slowly, he found it difficult to remember their faces. Their voices and even their names. Or if he even had siblings. That started to scare him until he couldn't remember why he was scared. He couldn't remember what he had forgotten so how could he miss it? He wasn't aware he had forgotten anything. He just spent his days in a mountain, coming out only to eat and drink at the stream. He sat in the rain, letting it drip down his red body. It was as if his body knew he was waiting for something even though his mind could no longer remember what it was he was waiting for.

Was he waiting for something to happen? Was he waiting for someone to help him? To find him? To take him home? Where was his home? For now, the mountain was his home and the only one he could remember. He lived in the now, unable to recall the days gone by. He had no past. His only thoughts consisted of what he was going to eat that day and whether he should take a nap or fly for a while.

Gaara shut his eyes, trying to erase that feeling from his memory and all those fuzzy images. Now it was getting harder to remember even those memories but that suited him just fine. He didn't like those ones. The days he spent alone as a creature he knew nothing about. It was like being in someone else's body.

He was convinced this as only on account of his foggy brain. Images and strange memories would pop into his mind and he would have that uneasy feeling again.

That was all in the past. Now he could focus on other memories. Happier ones. Right now he was focusing on his sister's concern for him. That gave him a more pleasant feeling. He wasn't in a cave or in the desert anymore spending his time alone. He was in his familiar bedroom with his big sister seeing to his every need. It felt good to be home again, like being away on a long journey he found less than peaceful and now able to return to a place he could relax and feel comfortable.

That's what a home was supposed to feel like, wasn't it? It was supposed to make someone feel safe and happy and at peace and be comfortable.

"This is my home."

"What was that?" Temari asked moving to fix the shades on his window.

"Nothing. Just thinking to myself," Gaara answered. "I must still be a little groggy. My mind still seems a little jumbled up. I don't think my thoughts have any real consistency."

"Ah, that's how it is for everybody when they daydream. It's not a big deal." This was more of the Temari he was used to. The one who brushed off minor problems and seemed unconcerned, positive that things would go her way if she wanted them to, even if she had to make it so. A confident girl with a strong attitude.

The bedroom door suddenly burst open and in came the missing sibling in this otherwise family reunion. Kankuro was holding something in his hand. "Hey, Temari, we've got-"

"Can't you see Gaara's resting?" Temari almost yelled, pointing to the bed.

Kankuro turned. "Oh, sorry." Then he suddenly realized... "Gaara, you're up! How are you feeling? You ok?"

Gaara nodded his head, seemingly unperturbed by his brother's suddenly entrance. "My body still feels a bit heavy and I can't sit up on my own."

"That's great." Apparently Kankuro did not hear him correctly. He showed his sister the paper. "Naruto dropped this off a little while ago. It's the details from what happened. Seems unbelievable, but hey, we saw a dragon ourselves so..."

Temari snatched the paper away. "Huh. I sort of figured he would just stop by and explain it in person. Never thought he'd take the time to write it down."

"He explains why a little towards the bottom." Kankuro peered over her shoulder and pointed to the paper in her hands. "He misspelled that word and that one. I'm pretty sure that's supposed to say 'cursed' instead of 'crust'. See? And that one there, too."

Temari laughed, slightly amused. "At least he signed his name. I half expected him to just do a doddle of himself in the bottom corner."

Gaara cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. "I'm really thirsty."

"Kankuro, get him a glass of water."

"Why me?"

"You're closer and I'm reading this."

"I don't care who gets it for me as long as it gets done soon. I can't move." Gaara knew both of them would end up getting it for him in the end. He was used to the two of them acting like normal siblings and bickering a little. Gaara didn't mind. It was the sense of normalcy he really needed to make him feel at home again.

While Temari left the room to get the water herself, still reading the note as Kankuro tried to snatch it from her as he, too, went to fetch the water for their baby brother, Gaara gave in to an impulse he had been trying to suppress since they had entered his room. He smiled.

* * *

After returning to the village, Naruto was reunited with his friends. Neji remained calm and wasn't hostile toward any of the people who approached him. With some encouragement from Shino, Hinata was shown her dragon cousin for the first time. Even though they had informed her that this was Neji, she knew it was him without having to be told. She recognized him at once. She even told Shino she was surprised he didn't know this was Neji. She thought it was obvious. Sakura had approached him next, apologizing for her earlier attack which sent him fleeing from the village.

Once everyone had a chance to see him, they were allowed some time to themselves. They chose a spot in the grass where they had a nice view of the sky and lay down. Soon Shikamaru had come to visit them as well. He lay beside Naruto and watched the clouds roll by, now far out of his reach. Naruto took the opportunity to tell Shikamaru everything they had been through in excruciating detail. He told him the stories Nianzu told and the painting in his house. He told him about Seji and his wonderful party. He told him about the little girl with the coin and the wannabe-ninja brothers. Everything.

Shikamaru listened politely, giving small grunts every now and again. "Sounds like a lot of fun and adventure."

"Oh, yeah!" Naruto laughed, remembering it all over again. As stressful as this journey was for the two of them, Naruto would happily do it all over again.

"It's strange though..." Shikamaru was saying.

"What is?"

He turned his head slightly to look at Naruto sideways. "It's almost like fate. Like everything was meant to happen. No, it's more like everything is connected."

"What do you mean?"

"The girl with the coin and then the old woman and then you just happened to meet this guy Nianzu. Weird, isn't it?"

"I met a spirit!" Naruto beamed. The excitement was bubbling in him all over again. "How awesome is that?"

"Yeah, but it's the other stuff, too. Those stories..."

"What about them? Awesome, right?"

"Yeah, awesome." While Naruto had been speaking, Shikamaru's mind was hard at work, piecing everything together like a puzzle. Now he made sense of it all. "I think they all fit together."

Naruto turned his head. "Huh?"

"The land you were at with the girl and her coin. The one that was brown and muddy. Before you said that there was a story about the painter who was friends with the Dragon Priestess and was poisoned by the merchant. I think that was the village. And it's green now because of you and Neji."

"How do you figure?"

"Because of the curse. It could only be lifted by a dragon's flame. You and Neji were cooking, weren't you?"

"Yeah. We made a fire outside."

"Which was still part of the cursed land. When Neji cooked the food, he used his fire, right? Dragon's fire."

Naruto's eyes widened. That was why the land seemed greener when they doubled back. Neji had lifted the curse without knowing. A smile started to creep up on Naruto's face.

"And I think you were right," Shikamaru went on. "Seji's family must have been that one in the other story, which explains why his family was so stingy for years and why those jewels were in that shrine." He sighed looking up at the sky again. The gears in his head were still turning, connecting everything together. "And that village seemed to hate ninja. What if those three brothers had something to do with it? They were nearby when you met them, right? Like in the next area?"

That was true. Maybe they did have something to do with that village's dislike of ninja.

"What else?" Naruto asked him. "What about the painter's bag. It was never mentioned again and no one knows what happened to it."

Shikamaru shrugged. "Anything, really. It's supposed to hold up over a long period of time, right? It could still be out there somewhere." He started to grin. "Maybe it was the bag you gave to Nianzu."

"What? No way." That was impossible. "I got that bag from Seji. He's from a rich family. The bag was in his house. Even Nianzu said it was too fine and must have been from a noble or something. Besides, what's a painter doing with such an expensive bag, huh?"

"It was a gift from the Dragon Priestess, right?" Shikamaru brought up.

"But the merchant took it from himself. Wouldn't it make more sense for him or his family to have it?"

"You never know." Shikamaru paused, thinking again. "Then again, if the land was cursed to be poor, he may have had to leave. He may have had to sell it or trade it to someone with money to feed himself. Maybe to a noble."

That could have been. "But... wait. But if you think Seji's family took the bag in trade, that doesn't make sense. They didn't open their doors to anyone so how could they?"

"They weren't always like that, remember? You told me that they only became that way after someone tried to kidnap their son. This could have happened before then. It's not like they gave you the dates of each event." He shrugged into the grass. "Eh. Or maybe the merchant was the one would tried to steal from them in the first place to get money. He may have left the bag behind."

"No, because then the dragons would have picked it up after they burned them saving the kid. They would know it was the painter's bag. Besides, we don't know if the merchant was the one who tried to kidnap anyone. It could have been someone from the Seiha clan."

"Whoever it was." Shikamaru yawned. "Who knows? Maybe it's still floating around out there. You have to admit, it would be pretty cool if that bag Seji had was the bag the painter had and now it's back with the Priestess's descendant."

Shikamaru was right. That would be pretty amazing.

The clouds sat in the sky, unmoving. Naruto remembered what it was like to ride with them, reaching out and touching the sky with his own hands. It was something he could never forget. There was something else he could never forget. He turned and saw the dragon rolling in the grass beside him, growling contentedly. After all this time, he had yet to change Neji back.

He hadn't forgotten his promise. He had just been holding off on it. There were many reasons for that. First off, it made things more convenient for him. Traveling was faster and more fun on dragon back. The other reason for it was the fact that Neji seemed to enjoy being a dragon. He hadn't pestered Naruto once to change him back even after finding the cure. He seemed very content with himself as he was now. However, he still wasn't able to enter the village. Too many people made a fuss over the massive beast roaming the streets, knocking things over with his tail and distracting people who caught sight of him.

A shadow cast over Naruto's face, blocking his few of the sky. Shikamaru was standing over him with a lazy smile. "Well?' he said.

"Well what?"

Shikamaru reached into his vest and took something out. The dragon scale.

Naruto sat up. "Oh, yeah..."

"I've been hanging onto it for you like you told me," he explained. "Most of the people in the village know about Neji's condition, but they're still staying away from him. I guess they're afraid he'll attack them or something."

"Yeah, I guess so."

"So..." Shikamaru tossed the scale into Naruto's lap. "Don't you think it's time to change him back to normal?"

"Yup. I think we've got everything covered." Naruto took the scale in his hand and turned to face Neji. He stopped, seeing Neji rolling in the grass making crooning sounds and wagging his tail. He looked so happy.

"Aren't you going to change him back?" Shikamaru asked behind him.

"I am. I just..." His grip tightened on the scale.

"Having second thoughts?"

"No, it's not that. It's just..."

He looked so happy.

Shikamaru noticed Naruto's stiff shoulders and his gaze focused on Neji in the grass. "Something wrong?"

Naruto hesitated. "It's just that... Well, look at him."

The two watched Neji play in the grass, so carefree and content. He looked happy. He was at peace with himself and the world around him. Shikamaru began to understand.

"Like this he doesn't have to do anything. He's away from all that stress and pressure. He can do whatever he wants and never has to worry about what other people will think or holding up appearances or whatever. He's free. He's powerful, he can fly. Why would he want to change back?"

"Because this isn't who he is," Shikamaru pointed out.

Naruto knew that all along but he still couldn't help feeling conflicted. "But what you are doesn't make you who you are. Neji's still Neji even if he is a dragon."

"But he's living a lie. Neji was born a human and has always been a human. This body of his is unnatural. It's a curse set upon him. He knows this. Why else would he want to change back to the way he was before?"

"But he hasn't told me that in a long time!" Naruto blurted out. "At first he really, really wanted to change back and now... Now he hasn't asked me to." Naruto looked down at the scale sparkling in the sunlight. "It's like Nianzu told me. The longer he's like this, the more he'll forget being human..."

"So you're thinking that Neji doesn't remember being human so it's ok if he stays like this because he won't know the difference?"

"No. Yes. No. I mean..." Naruto shut his eyes, trying to explain himself. "But those brothers we ran into also told me that once Neji's a dragon he won't want to change back."

"And you think they're right?"

"Look at him, Shikamaru." He pointed to Neji snapping playfully at the butterflies fluttering by his head. He blew out rings of fire and smoke into the air. He chased his tail and flopped down in the grass again kicking the air with his legs. "Why would he want to change back now? He's happier like this. I can't take him away from all this just to go back to being stressed out and miserable all the time."

"You think he's miserable?"

"Why else would he mope around and yell at me all the time?"

"Ah, Naruto, we all yell at you. And it's usually for the same crap." Shikamaru sighed. "Naruto, Neji's not miserable as a human. That's just how he is. He has an image to uphold. The people in the Hyuga clan take things very seriously. If he's ever caught doing this stuff, they'll reprimand him for it. They'll think he's too foolish and unreliable to be trusted with anything and not ninja material. That's all. His clan puts him under a lot of pressure. Plus, he wants to be taken seriously and wants to prove himself. The whole main branch thing makes Neji work even harder to show that he can be just as good as them if not better. He's a hard worker and a very determined person."

"So, what, I just change him back so he can go back to all that stress? Why can't he stay happy? Why can't he be allowed to do what he wants and be something he wants to be instead of what he's expected to be?"

"How long do you think this is going to last, Naruto? Sooner or later Neji will get bored and want to do something else. He has dreams to fulfill. And you saw what happened to Gaara. You want Neji to turn into that and attack everyone? We've already caught a glimpse of it before when he attacked us by the gate."

"I know that. But..." He took in a deep breath. "I made him a promise. I told Neji I would find a way to change him back. I never break my promises and I don't want to start now. I know what I have to do."

"But you still aren't sure if it's the right thing, are you?"

Naruto sighed heavily. He really didn't. "On the one hand, I want to fulfill my promise. But on the other hand, seeing how happy and carefree Neji is makes me think... Am I really going to be the one to take all this away from him and say that he has to work hard the rest of his life and always be stressed?"

"You have a point," Shikamaru told him. "As a dragon, he's powerful. Almost nothing can hurt him. And he can fly, too. Something most people dream about and he can do it whenever he wants. He can be with the clouds and take himself far away from anything that bothers him. He can be free." Shikamaru paused. "But he doesn't have complete freedom. Some things still bind him that even flying won't take away."

"You're not making this easy for me," Naruto grumbled.

"It's nice to have someone's fate in your hand, isn't it? Although, there is something interesting..." Shikamaru moved and stood behind Naruto so close Naruto could feel his knees touching his shoulder. "You promised him you would find a way to change him back. And you did. However, you didn't promise that you would be the one to change him back."

A loophole.

"So basically, you don't have to do anything further. You found the cure for him. Promise fulfilled."

Was that really it? Was this over? Neji would remain this way forever?

Neji stopped rolling and righted himself, walking slowly over to Naruto, sensing something was going on. He sat in front of him, lowering his head until it lay in the grass at Naruto's feet. Naruto looked into the almond eyes of his friend who resembled more of a dog than a dragon at the moment.

Those eyes. He had seen them before in many shapes. He saw them moist with tears, the bonfire dancing in them as he lay depressed and frightened. He saw them wide and bright with joy. He had seen them narrow with rage locking onto targets and ready to kill. So far Neji's eyes held no malice toward him the way Gaara's had but everyone told him it was only a matter of time. Still, Neji remained loyal to Naruto and enjoyed his company. How long before that changed? Would it change? Either way, loyalty? Naruto didn't want Neji to be faithful to him like a dog. He didn't want a servant-master relationship with him. Neji wasn't a pet. He was a friend. Keeping him this way was a mistake if that was how they were going to spend the rest of their days.

Though Naruto enjoyed having Neji's loyalty and having him listen to him for a change and obey, he missed Neji's yelling. He missed being corrected. Mostly, he missed his voice. He missed his tones and his words and his reasoning. Neji just wasn't Neji any other way. Naruto even wondered if Neji was losing his ability to reason and use logic. He was still intelligent, but he wasn't operating at his usual level.

He also missed seeing Neji as himself. His human form was fading into a distant memory. Neji couldn't be a ninja like this. He still couldn't enter the village with such a large body. He couldn't hang out with his friends the way they used to. If they ever went out to eat together, Neji would have to wait outside. He also couldn't take part in their conversations. Plus, Neji was impossible to feed like this. His appetite was even larger than Naruto's during training.

"Think about this, Naruto," said Shikamaru. "What was the reason Neji wanted to change back in the first place?"

The reasons. Yes, all those things that had Neji concerned in the first place. They were all valid. Neji had so many reasons for wanting to change back. But did those reasons outweigh the benefits of remaining as he was?

"But..." Naruto stroked Neji's snout with his hand. "But... isn't he happier like this? Since he hasn't bugged me to change him back, doesn't that mean he likes it better this way? Or... or is it because he can't tell me anymore?" Naruto steered his eyes toward the ground. Was this creature staring at him with big eyes really Neji or was he too far gone? Was this really Neji? Neji wouldn't be the only one living a lie if that were the case. The Neji everyone knew could be gone. The person Naruto could call his friend could be lost and replaced by this creature.

Was this Neji? How long has this been? When did he leave? When was he replaced? Was he really gone? Was this Neji? Was it?

No. Naruto knew it was Neji, not some creature. But Neji did have dragon instincts. He had seen what Gaara had become and glimpses of Neji becoming that way. Looking at him now, it seemed impossible for Neji to become that way.

Naruto shut his eyes tightly, tensing up. What should he do? Let Neji remain happy as he was? Was he happy like this? Was that a mistake? Should he change him back? He promised to help him return to the way he was before, but did that include changing him back? Was he making a mistake by changing him back, condemning him to a life of misery and stress and rules? What was right?

"Shikamaru..." He couldn't do this alone. "I made a promise... but... But am I making a mistake? What if I make the wrong choice? What if I do what makes him miserable? What if he doesn't want it? Isn't he happier like this? Does he want to change back?"

Neji wasn't Neji any other way. He knew this dragon was him but at the same time, this wasn't his life. This wasn't how it should be. Naruto didn't want to become what those three brothers said he should do by keeping Neji this way and using him. No, that wasn't what was keeping him from changing him back. He wanted Neji to be happy. That's what was holding him back. What if it was destiny? Maybe Neji was meant to be this way and all of this happened for a reason like Shikamaru said. Naruto never was the type to believe in fate. That was Neji's department.

He knew Neji wanted to change back at the start of all this. What if he had changed his mind? He didn't want to make a mistake and do what he thought was right by changing him back when it would only make Neji miserable. He wanted to change Neji back, but did Neji?

The shadow-user stuffed his hands into his pockets, shrugging. He didn't seem as bothered by this as Naruto. Then he said something so thought-out and yet so simple Naruto would never have thought of it. "Why don't you ask him? Let Neji make the choice. Let him decide."

That was brilliant. That way Neji could choose for him and make his wants known.

Throughout their journey, Neji had to make his wants known not through words but through signs and gestures or he would simply do it. Neji could decide for himself whether or not he would change back into a human. That way the decision wasn't forced upon him.

Change back into what he once was or remain as a dragon?

Naruto nodded his head and, looking Neji in the eyes with all seriousness, picked up the scale, holding it up in his hand within Neji's reach. "Ok. Neji... what do you want to do?"

Neji's almond eyes focused on the scale and then on Naruto.

"If this scale touches the pearl on your head, you change back into the way you were before and you'll be human again. You get to decide. Do you want to go back to being a human or do you want to stay a dragon?"

He could decide? He got to choose?

All his life, things were forced upon him. His fate was always in another's hands. Everything was decided for him and he had to always do as he was told. It was out of his hands. Always. He never got to choose. Now Naruto was giving him that opportunity to decide his own fate. For once, he got to choose what he wanted and what his fate should be. The decision was his to make.

He looked at his reflection in the smooth dragon scale and was not alarmed by his appearance. It didn't bother him anymore. Being a dragon did not make him a monster nor did it define who he was. Naruto knew this since day one. While everyone else was skeptical, Naruto knew the truth. No matter how he looked, not matter the hardships, Naruto was always there by his side. He supported him, protected him and helped him every step of the way. They fought together and flew together. Neji never felt such a bond before.

All this time, while he considered Naruto a valued friend, he also found him rather annoying and would much rather spend his time with someone else. Anyone else on most days. Yet Naruto had this charm about him that made it impossible to hate him. The way Naruto had an understanding of people and situations that were far beyond anyone else's capability was incredible. Though Neji found his logic and reasoning foolish most of the time, he couldn't help but support him anyway. Naruto could change hearts. Naruto was stubborn and foolish and impulsive, but those qualities could also be a good thing. He was stubborn enough to stay with Neji all this time and fight for him when anyone else would have given up. Perhaps Naruto's stubbornness wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Even with everything Neji knew about him already, he never fully grasped it. It was as if he heard Naruto but he was never listening to him. Even when he considered Naruto a friend, he never understood why that was. Why did he support Naruto? Why was this foolish boy able to sway hearts? He wondered so many things about him. Now none of that mattered. That was just Naruto's character. He would never change and now Neji didn't want him to. In the past Neji wanted to change Naruto's negative qualities but now he no longer did. Everything, the good and the bad, made Naruto who he was. Why couldn't he see that before? Was a Hyuga really that blind?

Naruto had kept his promise and found the cure he wanted so desperately before. Now, rather than forcing the decision upon him, Naruto was allowing him to choose what he should do next. The cure was right in front of him. Naruto wanted him to choose. Let his wants be known.

Neji could never see this clearly before he was transformed into a dragon. As a dragon, he was able to feel free and feel such joy. He no longer felt caged. The shackles had been removed. He was able to do so much he never thought possible before all this. Ever since he had been transformed, Neji was focusing on the things he could no longer do rather than what he could do. He could fly, he could breathe fire, he could laugh, he could play, he could do whatever he wanted. He could stay a dragon. He could remain as he was forever.

Pondering this for several long moments, Neji looked into Naruto's eyes and saw his reflection again. In Naruto's eyes, he was reflected differently. He blinked and looked back at the scale.

Naruto had done so much for him this past week, but none of that compared to right at this moment when Naruto presented him with a choice. Naruto allowing him to choose for himself was the greatest thing he could have ever done besides tipping over that Dragon's Pearl in the shrine.

Smiling, Neji bowed his head and leaned closer to Naruto, the scale touching his pearl with a dull tap.

Naruto closed his eyes and when he opened them he saw the top of Neji's bowed head. Neji kept his head bowed, staring at his hands. He lifted them off the ground and studied them closely. His pale pink human hands. He touched his face and felt no snout, no scales and no pearl. He lifted his head and Naruto saw a sight he had not seen in what seemed like ages. The human he thought he would never see again.

Naruto grinned, happy to see him again. Even if he was here all this time, never leaving his side, this was the Neji he missed. "Hey. Welcome back."

Neji returned his smile and started laughing. Somehow, as familiar as he seemed, this Neji appeared to be slightly different. He had never seen that bright smile before or heard Neji laugh like that. He never knew Neji could make such a happy sound.

"Naruto," Neji said between chuckles. "Thank you."

It was so good to hear his voice again. Naruto tossed the scale aside, still grinning. "Hey, I promised you, didn't I? Still, I'm a little surprised. I thought you'd want to stay that way. I mean, judging from your actions, it almost looked like you were going to decide to stay a dragon. What made you decide on this?"

He thought Neji would give him the usual answers, claiming that it was better for him to remain the way he was born and be a human or to say that he had to make sure the promise between them would be kept. However, Neji's answer surprised him.

"I wanted to tell you in person. I wanted to thank you."

"Uh... what?"

"For everything. For staying by my side no matter how bad things got, for sticking by me and helping me. For keeping your promise. For understanding how important this was for me. For being with me and not giving up. For... for everything we've been through together. For everything, Naruto. Thank you."

Naruto ruffled the yellow hair on his head. "Hey, come on. How long have you known me? I never go back on my word or break my promises. I told you I'd help, remember?"

"Still, I know I can be a bit of a pain myself even if I say you're the pain all the time." Neji looked away bashfully. "To be honest with you... it wasn't so bad. I actually had some fun. And I am grateful to you fr that. For a lot."

Did Neji just openly admit that?

"We're not going to kiss, are we?" Naruto asked, backing away in nervous disgust.

Shikamaru smacked him in the back of the head with an open palm. "Leave it to you to ruin a sweet moment like that, Naruto. How troublesome."

"Ow! Hey!"

Shikamaru bent down in front of Neji to welcome him back. "Nice to see you again. Without the scales and the tail."

Neji looked behind him where his tail would have been. "Yeah. It actually came in handy sometimes. But it did get in the way, too." He faced forward again. "I am going to miss the flying, though." Neji closed his eyes and faced the sky, reminiscing. "That was amazing."

"I think I'd miss that, too," Shikamaru confessed.

"Yeah, yeah, feelings," Naruto butted in. "So now what? Neji's back to normal so what do we do with the scale now?"

Shikamaru picked it up. "I could take it to Lady Tsunade and see what she thinks. She may opt to take it to the village where the Dragon's Pearl is located."

"That does seem wise." Neji's cheerful expression changed to one of concern. "Oh, yes! That's right."

"What is?"

"I left at a very inopportune moment. I have to see my uncle as soon as possible." Neji started to stand up then toppled over onto his knees.

"What's the matter?" Naruto and Shikamaru knelt beside him, worried.

Neji looked at his legs. "My legs are too weak. I... I don't think I can walk."

Naruto saw the familiar look of worry on Neji's face and understood. He crawled forward and knelt beside the Hyuga. "Come on." Naruto took Neji's arm and draped it over his shoulders.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Naruto started to stand, taking Neji with him. "You carried me all this time. The least I can do now is carry you home."

The stunned Neji couldn't speak. Before he could think to say anything, Shikamaru spoke up.

"Ah, let him do it. There's no stopping him." Even though Shikamaru didn't admit it, he did this it was a sweet gesture.

With Naruto's support, Neji started to take his first steps as a human again. It was like teaching a baby to take its first steps. Neji's legs were very shaky and wobbled with every step. "Looks like I'll have to get used to walking on two legs again," Neji half joked. He was so used to walking on four legs that now this felt strange to him.

"Don't worry, I got you." Naruto wouldn't let Neji fall. The very same way Neji didn't let him fall.

It was slow going back to the Hyuga estate. Inch by inch, they walked, Neji slung over Naruto using him as a human crutch as they walked side by side. Neji insisted Naruto take him to Hinata's before taking him back to his house.

"You're still recovering. I mean, Gaara passed out when he changed back and you can barely walk. You really want to go see your uncle now? Seems like a good way to get stressed out if you ask me."

"It's something I have to do. It's my responsibility."

"Yeah, yeah."

Naruto carried him up to the front door. With his hands supporting Neji, Naruto kicked the door, knocking with his foot. The door opened and there stood Hinata's father. Naruto had never officially met him before, but he had seem him. In his opinion, he looked just like all the other Hyuga. He definitely had the clan's frown down.

"What's up?" Naruto greeted.

"Uh, maybe I should talk?" Neji suggested.

"Yeah, maybe..." Naruto looked away with a tiny grin.

Neji bowed his head low in front of his uncle. "I'm very sorry, uncle. My deepest apologies, sir. I did not intend to abandon my duties and I know it was not a fair time to leave with no notice. Due to unforeseen circumstance, my intentions..."

"Are you alright?"

Neji lifted his head so suddenly, he felt dizzy. What did he just say? "Uh... Pardon, sir?"

"I heard you were cursed and transfigured into animal form and mistaken for a beast and attacked. You had journeyed to right yourself. Is that correct, Neji?"

"Y... yes. Yes, sir."

His uncle looked him up and down. "You seem to have fixed the problem, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"That's good to hear. Then I trust you shall be joining us for Lady Hanabi's birthday celebration?"

Neji blinked. "Her... the celebration? I'm sorry, sir, but I'm confused. I thought the festivities were already..."

He shook his head. "No. When you did not arrive and we had heard of your predicament, we postponed her party. It concerns the Hyuga clan and you are a Hyuga, are you not? We were not going to hold the celebration without you present."

Naruto looked into Neji's huge eyes and saw just how stunned he was. His whole body had gone stiff. The main branch would not carry on with the party without him there? They postponed it? For him? They were worried about him? The main branch concerned for the second branch's well-being?

The look in Neji's eyes was the very same when he had flown for the first time near the mountain just a few days ago. Neji's chest felt warm and that warmth was starting to spread to his face. They really did care about him. He did matter after all.

"I suggest you rest up, Neji. Now that you've returned, we can begin. The details can wait until you get settled in."

Neji was only half listening to his uncle. He was still in a state of shock and felicity. He managed to pay attention enough to bow again, almost taking Naruto with him and thanking his uncle for his generosity and consideration.

After that brief conversation, Naruto took Neji back to his house and helped him inside. Neji tried to walk to his bedroom but was still having difficulty. He stumbled and would have fallen had Naruto not grabbed his arm when he did. At Neji's request, Naruto helped Neji to his bed and helped him sit down.

"You ok on your own?"

"Yes, I should be." Neji could not wipe the smile from his face. "I'd like to rest for a while. Thank you, Naruto."

"As long as you're good..."

"I'm good." For some reason, Neji's smile and downcast eyes reminded Naruto of Hinata. The only major difference was the fact that his face wasn't bright red. Neji lifted his gaze and nodded to him. "Thanks, Naruto. I'd like to get reacquainted with my room again if you don't mind."

"No, go ahead. Just wanted to make sure..."

"We've seen nothing but each other for over a week. I thought you'd be sick of me by now."

"Not really. You didn't look like this before." Taking the hint that Neji really wanted to rest, Naruto bid Neji a good rest and left him alone.

Neji sat on the corner of his bed and look around. Everything was as it was before. Same. Clean. Familiar. Then he noticed something odd. During his transformation, Neji had torn his bed apart with his growing horns. Now it was fixed. Even his pillows had been stitched back together. Even his clothes had been washed and carefully hung up on a hook on his wall rather than in the drawer. Seeing the light purple flower in the narrow vase by the open window beside a small jar of ointment, Neji knew who to thank. Sometimes, Hinata was too kind.

Having not done this for a long time, Neji couldn't resist and flopped back onto the bed, sprawling out on his repaired mattress. Neji had not been able to lay on his back ever since turning into a dragon and missed it so much. He stretched out and faced the open window, listening to the wind chime jingling outside. He always hated that thing, now he loved it. It was a sure sign he was home again.

Meanwhile, Naruto returned to his own house. Just as he suspected, his home was still a mess. Chairs were overturn and torn cloth was everywhere in addition to the regular mess he came home to everyday. Naruto walked from one room to the other arriving at his bedroom last. The gaping hole in his wall had been fixed at least. He pushed aside a pile of clothes from his bed onto the bag on the floor. The same bag with all his ninja supplies. The one he regretted not having with him while he and Neji were on their journey.

Bed now cleared, he flopped down on his back. This had been a long adventure for the two of them. It was stressful and fun all at the same time. Naruto was happy to have experienced it; wondering if Neji felt the same. So far Neji seemed interested in resting after their adventure. He seemed happy to be home and human again.

"We were both able to come home after all," Naruto said to his ceiling.

He tried to get comfortable on his bed but felt very restless. He had grown so used to having Neji's long scaly tail wrapped around him that it felt weird not having it nearby. Just like before, he had grown accustomed to sleeping on Neji that sleeping in a bed felt strange. He tried to fluff his pillow up and wrap it around his shoulders to recreate the body he was used to but it wasn't the same.

"Looks like I have to learn how to sleep in a bed again." A bed was more comfortable and he missed it when they were traveling, but now he missed the tail. "Well, Neji has to learn how to walk on two legs again and I have to learn how to sleep in a bed again. I guess we're even."

Naruto glanced around his room, his grin slowly fading. It felt great to be home again, but now he felt a bit lonely. Sure, traveling with Neji wasn't the best or the most fun and it was difficult, but at least he was never alone. They were never alone.

He sighed. "Now I'm talking to myself. I talked a lot during our journey but that's only because Neji couldn't and it was too quiet. Besides, I knew he was there and could hear me so it wasn't like I was talking to myself. Unlike now."

He did feel lonely. He missed having a big dragon follow him around. No, he just missed having someone with him.

He missed a few things. While Neji was a dragon, Naruto had to help him which made Naruto feel more important. He also had to learn how to listen since Neji couldn't speak anymore. At the same time, Neji had to learn to listen to others and trust. He had to believe in someone else and rely on them since there were plenty of things he couldn't do anymore. He needed Naruto's help. They were there for each other, helped each other and learned from each other.

As miserable as things may have been for the two of them, it was no less enjoyable.

Naruto's smile was back. "It really wasn't half bad after all. It was kind of fun."

It really was. Even as Neji lay in his bed, listening to the wind chime outside his window and laying on his back with his limbs sprawled out over the bed, he felt the same way Naruto did. Even if it was hard, even if he was miserable and worried, he had no regrets.

It was fun.

* * *

One more chapter. There's only one left and then it's over.

Please review and keep an eye out for the last chapter ^-^


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter: 25**

Within a short amount of time, everything seemed to return to normal in the Leaf Village. Lee was training like he always did, no matter the time or place. Kiba seemed to be back on speaking terms with Neji and Akamaru seemed to bear no grudge. Naruto wasn't around when Kiba and Neji met up to chat, but Kiba told him everything. All was forgiven and everyone was happy to have Neji back in human form. Gai even tackled him in a massive hug when he heard the news and, according to Kiba, Neji tried to breath fire on him to get his Sensei off. Of course the fire never came and Neji felt a little embarrassed for trying.

"He's still adjusting," Kiba had mentioned. "He told me that he crawled on all fours when he got up this morning and ate right from the plate before he remembered his chopsticks. Can't eat spicy things again. He told me that, so I'm guessing he tried and failed painfully."

He seemed to be doing much better since then. Naruto felt disappointed he wasn't around when Neji was up and about. He wanted to throw Neji a huge party in celebration of his lifted curse. He had planned on getting everyone together for barbeque, but Neji wasn't around. Neither was Hinata, nor any other Huyga for that matter. According to Sakura and Tenten, all the Hyuga had gathered at the estate for a big party. Naruto had a good chance of finding him there so he ran off in that direction. As soon as he approached the gate, he remembered that Neji had mentioned a party with his uncle the day before and wondered if this was the party they were talking about. If so, no non-Hyuga was permitted to enter. Still, Naruto wanted to see how Neji was doing with his own eyes.

He sneaked over to where he heard music and voices, figuring that this was where the party was being held. It was the large courtyard they used mostly for training. It was certainly large enough to host a party. Being extremely careful, Naruto started to climb the wall.

"What are you doing?"

Naruto flinched, figuring he was caught by someone in the clan. It turned out to be Shikamaru standing behind him with his hands in his pockets looking rather bored. "Don't do that! Can't you see I'm sneaking?"

"Yes, I can see that. You know this party is for Hyuga members only, don't you? You're not allowed in."

"I know that. I'm not trying to get in. I just want to peek over the wall and see if Neji's in there."

"Being a Hyuga, I'd say his chances are good." Shikamaru watched as Naruto climbed up the wall and peered over the edge into the yard.

For a noble family, this party seemed rather subdued in Naruto's opinion. He was expecting a lot of laughing and balloons and fireworks and games. He thought the Hyuga would throw a party much like Seji's, where the entire village was strung up in lights and everything was bursting with color and the thick smell of food.

Well, there was food, but it wasn't very strong smelling and the portions were small in comparison. There were tables of food to one side of the yard where people could come and take the food they wanted. There was music playing near the back wall and the middle of the yard and been cleared away for people to dance. However, few people were. Most of the Hyuga were just standing around talking. Some danced, but it was more of a waltz than what Naruto could call 'dancing'. Hiashi was dancing with his youngest daughter in the center of the dance floor. Naruto guessed that was Hanabi, Hinata's little sister and birthday girl. He had never met her officially either; at least not that he could remember. He wasn't always the best when it came to remembering faces. Some were better than others.

Naruto looked around for Neji, knowing he had to be close by. "That Neji couldn't even take a break for two minutes before running off to report to his uncle. The fact that his uncle is here must mean Neji is, too."

"Of course he's there," said Shikamaru. "This is his house."

"Shh! I'm sneaking here."

"You're the one who's talking. And you're the one on the wall."

Naruto ignored him and continued to look for Neji. He found someone with long hair by the wall, but it wasn't Neji. It was Hinata. She was standing by herself watching the other people dance. She seemed to be looking at her father dancing with Hanabi. Every time a male Hyuga passed by, she looked up, hopeful, then slumped in disappointment as they passed by. She wanted to dance, too, but didn't have a partner. She stood with her back against the wall playing with her sleeves.

That's when Naruto spotted Neji walking across the yard from the porch. Neji seemed to be able to walk again without a problem. Naruto watched as he moved to where Hinata was standing.

Neji had been watching his cousin wait for a dance partner for several long minutes. It seemed that she was invisible to the Hyuga's eyes even though she was the head of the clan's first daughter. Unable to take it anymore, Neji walked swiftly over to her and stood in front of her with his hand extended forward. Hinata looked up and flinched when she saw that it was Neji. It wasn't out of fear, but surprise. She never expected him to offer his hand to her.

"Would you like to dance, Lady Hinata?"

She looked at the hand a second time then at her cousin's face. "I... But, you..."

He held his hand a little closer. "I will dance with you if I have your permission."

Without stuttering, she answered, "But you hate to dance. I've never seen you do it before."

"That's fine." Neji gave her a soft smile. "I've never thought of myself as a very good dancer which is why I never dance. I don't want to embarrass myself."

"I- it's ok, Neji," she told him nervously. "I- I'm not a very good dancer either. I'm terrible."

"Then it should be alright if I am your partner. You can blame it on me and you won't have to be embarrassed." He offered her his hand again. "Please? You shouldn't be standing here by yourself like a wallflower. You should enjoy yourself."

She didn't want to embarrass herself in front of the whole clan, but if Neji insisted, claiming he wasn't a good dancer either, then it should be alright. Keeping her eyes down, she shyly took his hand and allowed him to pull her toward the dance floor. Rather than head into the crowd of people, Neji escorted her to the side where they would be close enough to the music and people but not among the crowd just in case Hinata couldn't handle it.

Neji and Hinata stood facing each other. They looked at the dancers, trying to follow what they were doing. Neji tried to mimic them, knowing it was a disaster. He tried to lead Hinata in the dance but it didn't seem to be working out. He seemed to be pulling too hard and stepping too close. She kept stepping on his feet and her chin would bump into his chest. Even though it was his fault, she apologized. After only a few seconds of this, Neji was tired of it. He abandoned this dance in favor of another one.

He took her hands in his and tried something different. He started to swing her arms from side to side as if preparing to toss a heavy load over a fence. Hinata looked at the crowd and then at what they were doing. "Um, Neji... This isn't the dance everyone else is doing."

"I know," he told her. "It's different." He bent his elbows and straightened them, pulling and pushing her arms, making up a new dance.

Hinata looked worried. Everyone else was doing something different from what they were doing. It was better to join in and do what everyone else was doing or they might think they were strange and give them disappointing looks. She was afriad of what everyone else would think.

Neji suddenly spun her around and then himself. That gained her attention and a slight smile. That was fun. Neji grinned and spun her again. Her smile grew a little bigger. But she still looked a little concerned. "The main point of a party, Lady Hinata, is to enjoy oneself. It's pointless if you are not happy. You deserve to have fun as well."

She didn't look convinced. This was one of the things she and her cousin had in common. They were both worried about what other people thought of them, particularly Hiashi. Neither one wished to bring shame to the clan.

Suddenly Neji stood very close to Hinata, so close their chests touched, and he straightened their arms out to one side as if they were tangoing. Even though the music was slow, Neji was doing a slightly faster dance, making moves up as they went along. He bent his spine backwards while holding onto Hinata so it looked like she had dipped him and sprang back up. He had just performed a move intended for the female partner. Hinata started to giggle. Encouraged by her laugh, Neji did it again and then dipped her down. Now she was laughing. This was what he wanted from her. His silly actions were making her laugh. Even if he felt a little embarrassed by doing this, it wasn't so bad since she was doing it, too. Besides, she didn't seem to think any less of him for it. Today, he would enjoy himself. He could be serious later. Right now it was a party and they needed it to feel like one.

"You see?" Neji said with a smile. "Not everything has to be so serious. It's easy to have fun. Enjoying yourself isn't so difficult."

Hinata wasn't worried anymore. She was too busy dancing with her cousin to care. This was very enjoyable.

The music had ended and the dancers took a break. Hanabi looked over at her sister who was laughing. She hadn't seen Hinata laugh like that in a while. Certinly not around the Hyuga clan, that was for sure. Curious, Hanabi walked away from her father to see what they were doing. Hinata and Neji were dancing their own dance with no music. At first she thought it was strange, but then she saw how much they seemed to be enjoying themselves and wanted to join in. She pushed her way between them and asked if she could join them in their made up dance. Neji and Hinata took Hanabi's hands and started to swing their arms forward and back. Then Hinata tried adding her own moves. Now they were dancing in a circle, rotating one way and then the other. Now Hanabi was laughing with them. This was better than dancing that boring waltz with their father. This was much more fun.

Hiashi noticed that Hanabi had gone missing and went looking for her. He spotted her with Hinata and Neji. The three of them appeared to be dancing together to no music. It certainly didn't look like any dance he had seen before. It was clearly made up. He chose not to put a stop to it. Not when he saw all three of them laughing together having a great time. Neji was always so serious and obedient, it was nice to see him relax every now and then. He hadn't heard either of his daughters laugh like that in a long time. He had almost forgotten how cute their laughs were. It was a heartwarming relief. It was nice to see all three of them doing well. Hiashi began to smile as well.

"That's weird," Naruto said quietly. "Neji's laughing and dancing."

Now that Shikamaru wanted to see but climbing the wall seemed like too much work so he stayed put.

"I didn't know he could dance. Or laugh. Well, actually, I guess that's not completely true. He just doesn't do it that often." Naruto rested his chin on the top of the wall. "I kind of figured he wouldn't do it in front of people from his clan."

"Why, because they make him miserable?" Shikamaru asked behind him. "Naruto, I told you before... He has an image to up hold. It's not that he's miserable. That's just how he is. He may come across as aloof, but he's not as bad as you think."

"I never said that exactly. I just meant that..." Naruto didn't know what he meant. "I guess I sort of thought that they made him unhappy. I mean, remember the other day when he changed back? I really thought for a minute there that he would decide to stay a dragon. I thought he'd be happier like that. Or maybe I thought that he thought he would be."

"And like I told you, being human didn't make him miserable. It's all about appearances." Shikamaru folded his arms behind his head and looked at the sky. "But maybe it's that he realized that things weren't as bad as he thought. It's like you told me before. You two helped each other."

"We did."

"Yeah, but I mean more in the long term than... you know what? Never mind. Either you get it or you don't." He watched the clouds with a sigh. "That was one hell of an adventure, I'll give you that."

"Yeah, it was pretty awesome," Naruto beamed. "I wonder how Gaara's doing? I hope he's doing better than he was."

"Lady Tsunade said she got a message from the Sand Village this morning. It said that Gaara's able to move again and he's back to controlling sand like before. They had to help him walk for a little bit but now he's able to do it on his own and he's going to get back to paper work tomorrow. He said he could handle it now but they told him not to push himself. Sounds like a few people really know what happened to him. It was Temari who wrote the message and sent it to us. She said they weren't going to broadcast Gaara being a dragon and getting chased out of the village. Suits me fine. I'd think it would make everyone feel bad about running out the Kazekage the way they did. Lady Tsunade still has the note if you want to read it later. It was meant for you to read as well."

"Yeah, maybe later." Naruto was still watching Neji dance with his cousins. He smiled seeing Neji behave like this. "He seems so happy."

"You said the same thing about being a dragon. Maybe it has nothing to do with his form that makes him happy."

Nothing to do with form. Naruto had seen Neji laugh as a dragon and as a human. He had seen him have fun and play as a dragon and now as a human. Maybe Shikamaru was right and it had nothing to do with Neji's form, be it dragon or human. It was him. Naruto knew it was Neji all along, but he had a tiny bit of doubt whenever he saw Neji behave differently, wondering if it was dragon instinct or something else. Maybe it was Neji being himself without fear of being judged. Or maybe it was a combination of the two.

Naruto climbed down from the wall before he could get caught and followed Shikamaru away from the Hyuga estate. "Let them have their party," he said. "I'll bug Neji about our party later. He seems to be having a nice time with them and who knows how long that will last. Before they get all serious again, I mean. We'll throw him a big party later."

Shikamaru nodded and took Naruto down the street to read the later Tsunade was holding onto for them.

On the other side of the wall, Neji and Hinata took turns spinning Hanabi back and forth between them. Now it was less of a dance and more of a game. It was nice to put aside appearances once in a while and just play around, even if one looked foolish doing so. As long as they were doing it together, who cared how they must have looked? Even Neji no longer cared. At least not as much. It was nice to act a little silly once in a while and it was nice to play. It was nice not having to stand perfectly still and watch as everyone else had fun, worried about overstepping or making a mistake. It was wonderful to let his spirit fly. Fly like a dragon.

It was true. He did contemplate changing back or not. He thought about all the things he would be giving up as a dragon, the very same way he was on giving up everything he could do as a human. But it was worth it. He appreciated it even more. He was never miserable being a human or being a dragon. All the things that made him unhappy were normal things everyone and everything had to go through. It had nothing to do with form. He was happy to be human and missed it. What had him happy as a dragon wasn't being a dragon. Or flying or breathing fire or the power. It was being with someone else. Sharing it with someone. Even if he could still fly, it was pointless if he was doing it alone. He didn't want to be alone. He wanted someone there with him to share in everything, the good and the bad. That's what made him happy. Being with people who cared about him and caring about them in return. Now he knew how important it was. And now he knew he was important as well. He really did matter. He was surrounded by people who cared about him and his worth was not lessened by branch or by skill.

When Neji had thanked Naruto the other day for everything, it included what he was doing at this very moment. Without Naruto around to act like a complete fool and take an interest in playing around rather than be serious, Neji would never have had the courage to do the same. He wanted to thank Naruto for showing him how to let go and have some fun. Being free had more than one meaning. It also allowed him to be spontaneous and have fun. He could act silly and joke around. If it hadn't been for Naruto and being turned into a dragon, Neji would never have started dancing in front of all the Hyuga. Seeing Hinata and her sister laugh together was a priceless treasure in and of itself. They deserved to be happy and enjoy themselves, too.

Being with Naruto and spending all that time together and meeting all those people had showed him just how important it was to smile and laugh. To do what made you happy and not care about what other people thought. To enjoy life and live it to the fullest. After all, a ninja could die at any time. Even if this would not last forever, he wanted to enjoy it. It was his choice. He had a say in what he wanted. His fate was in his hands more than he thought and he would live it the way he saw fit. He wanted to live and have no regrets. And he had none. Not about being human, or their adventure or the curse of the Dragon's Pearl.

* * *

End!

It's finished!

That was a lot of fun to write. Part of me wanted to make it longer and add in a few things, but this seems good ^-^

Neji always believed in Naruto and trusted him. And thanks to Naruto he learned how to have fun. At least once in a while.

Thanks so much for reading it. It's different from the other stories I've written but I wanted to try something new and challenge myself. So I hope you all liked it and enjoyed it.

And since I cannot respond to 'guest' reviews, I'll just let you know here. Yes, I am planning on writing another story like this one. I have an idea in mind and I'll start writing it as soon as I can. So keep an eye out. If you liked this one, you may like the next one. Until that one is written and posted, you are free to entertain yourselves with the other stories I've written. I'll be writing others, too. I'm not out of ideas yet. More stories! Yay!

So thanks a bunch! Please review and keep an eye out for the next one ^-^


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